Wherepon Sits the Crown
by Z98
Summary: After years under the heel of Niflheim's rule, the Princess Stella is called upon to wed to seal the peace between the Empire and Lucis. In this union however Stella scents opportunity, to free not only her people but all of Eos from Niflheim's tyranny. The only question is whether the Prince Noctis can rise to the charge, and what the final cost will be.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Tolls and Tidings

"Your Highness."

The length of shimmering blond hair swayed aside as the figure upon which they flowed glanced over her shoulder.

"The car will be here soon, Your Highness," the servant stated. "We had best make ready for our departure."

"Very well." The young woman turned about, already clad in the jacket and dress she would wear for the coming journey. "I presume Ravus has a few words to impart before my departure?"

"Your brother awaits you in the study, Your Highness."

The princess nodded. "I will be along shortly, once I have seen to him."

"Very good Your Highness."

As the princess left her room the heels of her boots clicked against the marble floor of the corridor. Unlike the private chambers with their lush carpets, the castle's halls tended to feel colder. The young woman paid the change in ambiance no mind however, working purposefully to her destination. It was with equal lack of hesitation that she opened the door to the study, pausing only long enough at the threshold to greet the person waiting within.

"Brother."

Despite being four years her elder, Ravus Nox Fleuret was the one that dipped his head in deference.

"Sister. The preparations have been completed to your satisfaction for the journey to Altissia?"

"Hardly a journey at all, seeing as I shall be accompanied by a considerable retinue," was the sister's response.

Ravus gave a wry smile. "As befitting of the Princess of Tenebrae. It is a shame Mother's ill-health precludes her accompanying you, she would have loved to bear witness to your union."

"A shame indeed," the young woman agreed with a certain solemn air.

A still silence descended upon the two, though the princess made no move to break it. She simply waited for her brother to find his bearing, and perhaps even the courage to give voice to his worries.

"Sister," Ravus finally began again. "Are you certain?"

The young woman graced her dotting brother with a tolerant smile.

"Have we not already had this discussion, brother?"

Ravus grimaced. "Be that as it may, that is not an answer, as you know full well, sister."

The young woman's expression flickered for one brief moment before a serene stoicism asserted itself on her face. Clasping her hands behind her, she walked over to the window and gazed out at the lands below. Fenestala Castle was situated high atop the mountains, allowing its denizens a magnificent view of the lands they nominally governed. On some days, that view felt more like a cruel joke than a display of natural majesty. After spending several long moments contemplating which it was today, the princess turned about to face her brother.

"The decision has been made. I will go to Altissia, to be wed to Prince Noctis of Lucis and bind his kingdom as ours is now to Niflheim."

There was no attempt to hide the bitterness in the princess' tone, though which of the aforementioned events was the cause of her disappointment was less clear. Ravus however needed no such hints.

"You and the young prince have exchanged many a letter since parting ways some ten years past," he said. "You have never expressed any particular dissatisfaction with such contact."

The princess flashed a smirk as she circled the room. "You know as well as I, brother, that this and that are far from the same. What we speak of is no mere dalliance or passing encounter, but that which should serve as a foundation for the rest of our lives." She came to a halt at the sofa, but did not sit. "Nonetheless, you are correct. Dear Noctis himself, I have no complaint therein. He reveals no signs of indolence or capriciousness, and his letters reveal an earnest character." A chuckle sounded, one of genuine amusement. "Did you know, he is a rather avid fisher. He boasted once in a letter about catching something called a Cygillan Grouper."

Ravus cocked his head aside quizzically. "Is that a, rare fish?"

"I have absolutely no idea," the princess said, offering an earnest smile. "And yet it speaks volumes of his person, does it not? In fact I would not put it past Noctis to take advantage of our union in Altissia to find someplace to cast a line in the city."

Despite himself Ravus could not help but crack a wry smile of his own. How easily his sister seemed able to shift the mood of the topic, and how deftly she managed his own. The smile disappeared from her expression, and immediately Ravus too adopted a more somber demeanor.

"And yet," the princess said, meeting Ravus' eyes. "And yet, will I have a groom to exchange vows with once I reach Altissia?"

To that Ravus inhaled sharply, failing otherwise to muster a response. After a few more moments of tense stillness he finally answered.

"The Empire has ordered increased readiness for all its legions," he stated. "The rationale included in the dispatches is to ensure Lucis does not attempt to use the treaty signing as an opportunity to launch some sort of surprise offensive."

There was no humor on the princess' expression now. Stepping away from the sofa, she walked over to the window once more.

"I see."

Ravus said nothing, waiting for his sister to arrive at whatever conclusion she deigned necessary.

"How many legions are actually being positioned close to Lucis' borders?" she asked.

"Just three," Ravus answered, "as far as our sources have been able to ascertain."

Though both siblings knew it would not take the Empire long to transfer more troops in if the need arose.

"The Third will be in Accordo to provide additional security for the ceremony, while the Sixth will receive reinforcements here in Tenebrae." Ravus' lips thinned. "The Fourth will also be positioned in Accordo, albeit not near Altissia itself."

At that the princess spun about, her eyes widened in visible alarm. Her voice took on a distinctively hushed tone.

"The Fourth?"

Ravus nodded, causing his sister's expression to tighten.

"I see."

The princess turned about again to gaze out the window. A mockery indeed, their home transformed into a prison, much as their lands were for their people.

"We are not ready," she stated, a hint of irritation creeping into her tone.

"It was a good plan," Ravus said, stepping to her side and placing a hand on her shoulder. "With Lucis' help, we might well have been able to match the Empire's might."

The young woman's fists tightened. "With Lucis' help, the scales tipped in our favor. Without it, we are still far from defeated."

Ravus sighed, but did not argue the point.

"What do you intend?" he asked instead.

Again the princess fell into silent contemplation, for a few moments at least.

"Have our contacts been able to ascertain the exact timing of the invasion?" she asked bluntly.

"Not precisely," Ravus answered with equal frankness, "but all agree that it will be either during or after the actual signing ceremony."

To that the young woman gave an unladylike grunt. "With the likely excuse that Lucis struck first. How very like the chancellor to find some way to further profane the kingdom's honor and dignity."

"Lucis' defiance of Niflheim's imperial ambitions has always rankled the Empire," Ravus remarked almost offhandedly.

"And served as a beacon of hope for all whom suffers under the Empire's heel." The princess took a deep breath, turning about to face her brother. "Prince Noctis will have left for Altissia before the signing ceremony, and may well escape the Empire's strike upon Insomnia."

"Assuming Lucis keeps to the agreed upon itinerary, yes," Ravus agreed.

"Then a chance yet remains. If Noctis can evade capture or assassination at the Empire's hands, his power would serve as a significant impediment to Niflheim's occupation of Lucis. And Insomnia's defenses are formidable, the Empire is going to take substantial losses even if they achieve complete surprise. Lucis' leaders are not fools however, they _will_ suspect betrayal and will have prepared accordingly."

"What of the rumors that the Empire has found some way to defeat Lucis' magic?" Ravus reminded his sister by way of a question.

The princess raised a hand, letting a flicker of light flash before clutching at empty air. "If these rumors carry any truth in their telling, then it is even more imperative we not waste the opportunity set before us." The young woman met her brother's gaze with steely resolve. "The Empire has transgressed against not just their fellow man but against the gods themselves with their blasphemous worship of cold steel. We cannot, _I_ will not stand idly by any longer as they rent our very world asunder. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost, I, Stella Nox Fleuret, will see our people safely through the storm that will be Niflheim's reckoning."

* * *

Regis Lucis Caelum, 113th monarch of the Kingdom of Lucis, was seated alone inside his private study. The king was not one to mind solitude, but under normal circumstances was not one to seek it out. Today however was not just any day, and while he awaited news he found no better company than his own thoughts. As the sound of footsteps neared his door however, the king straightened, recognizing the sign that his wait was over.

Two men entered the room, bowing curtly to present the barest of courtesies necessary. Regis was equally terse with his response, dipping his head in a slight nod and uttered a single word.

"Report."

"We've received as good confirmation as we are likely to get," Cor Leonis, commanding officer of the Kingsglaive, said by way of preamble. "Niflheim has indeed stationed the Fourth Legion in Accordan territory, though they have issued no notice to the Protectorate's government as required by the terms of annexation."

Regis' eyes narrowed before he glanced over at the nearly bald man accompanying Cor. Clarus Amicitia grimaced unhappy but nodded.

"I can think of only one reason for the Empire to do this, Your Majesty," Clarus stated frankly. "The Nifs have no intention of honoring the treaty and are planning an attack."

"So," Regis said with a heavy sigh. "All that effort to preserve the peace, for nothing."

"You had to try, Your Majesty," Cor said. "If, when, another full-fledged war breaks out between Lucis and Niflheim, it will be our people that pays the price."

"An easy enough sentiment to hold," Clarus said brusquely, "but it offers no answers to the predicament we now face."

"No, it does not," Cor conceded. "But our options seem scant enough."

It was those scant options that Regis now contemplated.

"The imperial embassy has made no mention of these deployments?" he queried. "Nor any requests for changes to the signing ceremony?"

"They have not," Clarus answered. "In fact prior to our arrival we received a confirmation from them that Emperor Iedolas will be arriving as scheduled in three day's time." The contempt was not quite dripping off the man's tone as he uttered that name, but his feelings were evident enough. "Loathe though I am to admit it, Iedolas is demonstrating some degree of audacity to use his own person as part of this mad ploy."

"Audacious and mad does seem to describe this scheme aptly," Cor remarked. "The emperor is either extremely confident whatever plan is in the works will assure his safety despite being in Insomnia, or he is prepared to sacrifice his own life to see Lucis fall to the Empire."

"If Iedolas wishes to martyr himself, then I will gladly see it granted," Clarus declared.

"While I will shed no tears for the man that seeks my kingdom's downfall, take heed not to let your anger and frustration serve as cause for Niflheim's planned aggression," Regis chided. "The Empire might well be counting on a misstep on our part to serve as justification for any action they take."

"Apologies, Your Majesty," Clarus said earnestly. "Nonetheless, does it truly matter if a cause can be found? The Empire's own subjects will hardly care one way or another, all they would see is another glorious example of their martial might. The peoples of Accordo and Tenebrae are also in no position to help even in the most blatant violations carried out by Niflheim."

"Our people would know," Regis replied. "And that is reason enough to not stoop to such base conduct."

To that Clarus offered no repost, not when the man himself agreed with the sentiment, at least not when the forewarned anger and frustration distracted him. It was hard however, to know that nothing you did could avert the catastrophe headed your way. A man could be forgiven for any slip of temperament under such strain.

"If the Empire's invasion is inevitable, what do we do?" Cor asked, ever the practical one.

"We could just call off the ceremony," Clarus suggested. "Mobilize our forces and attempt to stop the Empire at our borders."

"No," Regis said immediately. "Niflheim is too strong to face in an open war, hence our pursuit of a diplomatic solution in the first place. And any fighting away from Insomnia would be without benefit of the Crown City's defenses, placing our forces at a severe disadvantage."

The two men standing exchanged looks before turning back to their liege.

"Does Your Majesty propose then to permit Niflheim to assault the capital?" Clarus asked.

"I would permit them to learn the price of trying," Regis declared.

To that his retainers grimaced, but otherwise their faces matched Regis' own determined expression.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Cor asked.

"We cannot prevent Niflheim's invasion, therefore we must focus our preparations on its aftermath," Regis responded, and his face hardened, "including the very real possibility of defeat. Have the crystal moved to the Citadel's secure vault and seal it inside."

A pair of nods there. The crystal was obviously the Empire's primary objective, and while the Citadel's vault would not keep it out of their hands forever, it would still buy some time.

"Disperse the Territorials' personnel and as much of their equipment away from the bases as is practicable in the time we have left," the king continued. "And I want all of Akademeia's students evacuated from Insomnia."

"Evacuated, Your Majesty?" Clarus repeated by way of clarification.

"Evacuated," Regis emphasized. "And all records regarding Class Zero destroyed. We cannot allow the Empire to learn the details of the Agito Project, but most especially we cannot allow the students to fall into imperial hands. I want them far from the capital when the hammer falls."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Clarus assured his liege.

"And what of the prince?" Cor asked.

"Bring Noctis to me," Regis replied. "There is much I must impart upon my son before his departure, and there is not a moment to waste." Once more the king grimaced. "I had hoped to spare him from the severity of such decision for a bit longer, but it seems we are all out of time."

"Your Majesty, you can be certain that Prince Noctis has grown into a fine young man," Clarus assured the king. "In just the last year alone he has achieved much, and while there is still much for him to learn and grow, I for one do not for a moment doubt that he will carry the Caelum name with all the dignity and honor it demands."

Regis gave his longtime retainer a warm, grateful smile. "And with such friends at his side, I know that any temptation to stray will be held in check."

Clarus bowed his head in acknowledgment of the praise offered of his own son.

Regis took a deep breath, feeling the aches in his body more acutely than ever. He should not have been an old man yet, not physically at least. Yet the demands of his duty sapped away at his life with every passing day, bringing him ever closer to the finality of death. Not yet though, he was not there yet. And until time called him forth for a final accounting, he would fight until the last breath to defend his kingdom, his people, and his son.

* * *

By the customs of courtesy and protocol when one entered the presence of His Radiance the Emperor one should remove any headdress that was not purely ceremonial. A crown was a rather obvious exception, and if one were to follow the dapper middle-aged man it might be easy to mistake the fedora for another. It would also be all too easy to infer that humming while strolling into His Majesty's presence was also acceptable, assuming one was completing lacking in any sense. It was a matter of some speculation just how much of his senses were still with the newly arrived personage after all.

"Your Majesty, I bring good tidings," the man said with a flourish of a bow. "The Lucians have acquiesced to our terms and final preparations are underway for the ceremony to seal the deal." A very telling smirk crossed his face. "They have even agreed to allow an, extended, entourage to accompany you to Insomnia."

Iedolas Aldercapt, Emperor of Niflheim, gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent Ardyn, that is well done. The hour of our final victory draws near. I trust, Marshal Roth, that my armies stand ready?"

Safay Roth shot a single glower at the newcomer as Ardyn seated himself at the table without waiting for the emperor's permission. He did not however let the seeming discourtesy distract him from answering his liege's question.

"The legions stand ready to advance upon Insomnia when the time comes, Your Majesty. Should these new weapons perform as well in the field as they have in the laboratories, the Lucians stand no chance."

"My weapons are ready," a gravelly voice sounded. "If there be any imperfections, it would be in the hand that seeks to wield them."

"You know as well as I how unpredictable the battlefield can be, Verstael," Safay chided his old comrade. "While your magitek have certainly proven themselves over the last ten years, our victory this time is reliant on new methods and means that have yet to accrue such, history."

Verstael Besithia, arguably the greatest scientific genius Eos had ever seen, made a grimace but did not argue the point. Prior to his appointment as director of the magitek program he had been a field officer in the Niflheim Army after all, and while his tactical acumen might have been dulled after all these years in labs and manufactories, he still could recall from memory the chaos of battle quite vividly. His mind after all remained a finely honed edge.

"Nonetheless, I remain confident that victory will ultimately be ours," Safay continued. And of course the marshal would, seeing as failure would be tantamount to leaving their emperor at the mercy of the Lucians. "I remain concerned however that our projections for the final accounting of victory remains, optimistic. The Lucians have not held at bay our forces these ten years past with mere luck and chance."

"We have compatriots within the Lucian ranks ready to join our cause," Ardyn pointed out. "Surely that should assuage at least some of your concerns?"

"Collaborators, Chancellor," Safay said with just a hint of distaste. "And traitors can never be fully trusted."

"No, I suppose not," Ardyn said, offering an unsettling smirk.

Safay grunted, accepting the closest thing to agreement he was likely to get from the imperial chancellor.

"Even if these traitors deliver to us their king and their fellow Kingsglaive," Safay went on, "that would not be the sum of Lucis' strength. Insomnia's barrier extends no further than the Crown City's walls, and their Territorial Army has been fighting to hold the line without benefit of that shield or their king's magic this entire time. Then there is the Crownsguard, which maintains detachments across the entire kingdom. How many of them will go to ground when we take Insomnia, and proceed to bedevil us as we attempt to extend our control to the regions beyond?"

"And how would you address this, optimism?" Iedolas asked, or rather required, of his marshal.

Safay picked up on the undertone clearly enough. It was all well and good to point out a problem, but if that was all he was capable of the emperor might find reason to appoint another, more capable person to such an august station as Marshal of the Empire.

"We need more manpower, Your Majesty," Safay answered frankly. "Not cold steel, but flesh and blood. The magitek are perfectly adequate as tools of conquest, but occupation, pacification requires a more deft touch than they are capable of, even now. If we are to actually occupy Lucis, we should reinstitute the conscription rolls to ensure we have sufficient men and women in the army's ranks to meet the expected requirements, especially with our existing commitments."

A clucking of the tongue sounded to Safay's left, giving an early indicator of Ardyn's opinion on that particular topic.

"I'm afraid that it will be a tad difficult to convince the Senate to acquiesce to such a request," the chancellor said, placing a hand over his chest, "even with my winning charm."

Safay scowled at the man again but before he could muster a response Ardyn went on.

"The Senate originally agreed to fund the magitek program in the belief that the fruits would obviate the need for our people to lay down their lives in future conflicts, after all," the chancellor pointed out. "If we were to go back to them and say otherwise, well, they might feel deceived."

The scowl on the marshal's face deepened, causing his otherwise neatly trimmed beard to twist into a disheveled scrunch.

"We should have never allowed the Senate to delude themselves like so," he said acidly. "Do the fools really think that victory comes without sacrifice."

"But they have sacrificed, in money if not in blood," Ardyn replied with a sardonic grin.

The lack of change in Safay's expression made clear the marshal's opinion of that.

"It is not as if your precious army is not without some flesh and blood, as you call it," Ardyn said lightly. "Is that not why you have increased the Sixth Legion's readiness?"

If that was meant to improve the marshal's mood the chancellor could have hardly done worse. Then again Ardyn did have a habit of pushing other's buttons as a seeming pastime.

"The Sixth, the reliability of some of its elements remains suspect," Safay stated unhappily. "Many of its battalions are auxiliaries from Tenebrae itself, and they may well hesitate to raise arms against Lucis."

"Conversely, they should be well aware of what could happen to their own homeland should their reliability stop being merely suspect," Ardyn said, "and to their families." A most unpleasant grin crossed his face. "I'm sure that should serve as, sufficient motivation to be on their best behavior for any mission that requires their deployment to Lucis."

Safay opened his mouth, obviously intent on giving the chancellor a piece of his mind. Despite the man's belief in Niflheim's greater glory, he was in many ways a straightforward person and preferred a straightforward environment in which to conduct his battles and wars. While the need for subterfuge and ethnically dubious tactics was an unhappy reality, the marshal still had some lines he seemed unwilling to cross. The people and lands of Tenebrae were after all subject to Niflheim's protection while their homes remained part of the Empire.

"Enough."

The single word cut off Safay's outburst before it could begin and all gazes shifted back to Iedolas.

"Your concerns are noted, Marshal," the emperor said, "but Ardyn is correct in the constraints we face. Until the crystal is in our possession, we must conduct ourselves bearing them in mind." The smirk that appeared could well be a mirror to that of the chancellor's. "After is when the petty restraints that bind us will be cast off."

Safay closed his mouth, recognizing that the emperor had made his decision. And with that decision made, as His Majesty's loyal servant, it was the marshal's duty to see it executed regardless of his own misgivings. And that was exactly what Safay would do, as his oath to throne and country demanded.

End Prologue

Umm, yeah. No promises whatsoever. I needed to get this out of my head so that I could focus on other things I'm working on. This obviously is going to be a different take to the FFXV story than what we got in the game proper. That much all of you could probably tell already from the story summary and Stella's presence (the foreshadowing of which was pretty transparent). A bit more politics and military, a bit less prophecy and spirituality. That is not to say I won't incorporate the latter, but those of you whom have read my other works will know that I possess a certain, aesthetic in my storytelling. And for the sort of story that I want to tell Lunafreya from the game, was not a good fit in a lot of ways. That is not to say I think she is a bad character or anything, but her personality does not suit the type of actions I need the Princess of Tenebrae to carry out. I could in theory have altered her like I did with Euphemia in _A Cold Calculus_ , but Lunafreya did not have the qualities I needed to serve as a basis like the former did. But since Stella already existed, even if she was removed from the game, and she did exhibit some of the necessary qualities, little though we may have seen of her, I settled on using Stella instead.

Incidentally the prose that was originally going to be the prologue was actually of Noctis starting out his journey from Insomnia. It would have served to help show how my version of Eos was different in a lot of ways even while it retained the core essence. But then I crossed the 2500 word count and I was only about 20% of the way to where I wanted the original prologue to end, at which point I went screw it, this is all going into the first chapter. So you guys should all get at least chapter one before I go off and work on other things for a while. Though I suppose I could be, convinced, to dedicate more time and effort for this story based on the volume and type of reactions. HintHintNudgeNudge.

I more or less have the key events of this story mapped out in my head, in broad strokes at least. I know who the bad guys are and what they're after, and I know how I intend the heroes to defeat them. Mostly. I even have worked out what motivates the big bad, abstractly at least. Optimistically speaking, I should be able to pack all of that material into about 50 or 60 or so chapters. Hopefully.

One thing I will note is that my version of the story will not be a lighthearted road trip. There will be shades and moments of levity, but overall it is intended to be a tale of military and political intrigue. The strain upon Noctis and company will be much more evident, and there will be a much larger visible body count. The intention is not to make the story more depressing, but ultimately to add greater weight to Noctis and co's actions. The things they do have consequences, and their opponent is the largest military power on Eos. Picking a fight with Niflheim is going to have serious consequences.

Mandatory I don't own the Final Fantasy franchise (I wish).


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Weight of Duty

"Nervous, Your Highness?"

Noctis finished putting on his jacket before turning about to face the speaker.

"Not really," he said nonchalantly.

The bespectacled youth was not fooled however, even if he deigned to humor his charge and nodded in acceptance.

"Then we should not keep the others waiting."

"Right."

Though Noctis' tone might have sounded half-hearted, there was a definite weight in his tone and bearing. The young prince knew what was demanded of him, knew the expectation placed upon him. It wearied him so, and yet he pressed onward with little hesitation in his steps. As the two emerged from Noctis' room, they were joined by two more youths similarly clad in black. One stepped with ponderous purpose, the other's gait a notable mismatch for his presently stern expression. The solemn air could be said to not befit the entire group, but some occasions called for a greater degree of formality. As they emerged from the palace into the courtyard, the reason why became apparent as all four came to a halt and bowed.

"Your Majesty," Noctis greeted.

Regis Lucis Caelum, 113th monarch of the Kingdom of Lucis, favored his only child with a warm smile.

"My son."

And with those two words, set the tone of this encounter. It would not be one between a king and his heir, but between a father and his son. A degree of tension was seemingly lifted from Noctis' form, but the young man still could not entirely relax.

"Come, keep an old man company for a few moments longer," Regis said, cocking his head in invitation.

Leaving his fellows to trail behind, Noctis fell in step with his father, and his king. He let the older man set the pace, which admittedly was only polite seeing as Regis required a cane to support his form, and that was on top of the supporting brace on his right leg.

"I expect this is the last we will see each other for a while," Regis stated. "Come the morrow, you should be well on your way to Altissia."

"We could always move the ceremony here," Noctis suggested halfheartedly. "Still time before I tie the knot."

Regis allowed a slight smile. "Hardly the best impression you could give your bride-to-be, inconveniencing her like that on the eve of your union."

And besides, the Empire would never allow it, both knew full well. So delicate were the conditions for the upcoming treaty that the slightest change might upset its fruition, never mind anything involving the union that was supposed to seal it.

"It has been nearly twelve years since you two last spoke," Regis said. "By all accounts the Princess Stella has grown into a lovely young woman."

"We've exchanged a few letters," Noctis responded. "She seems nice. Very determined, but nice."

"That is good to hear," Regis said, pausing momentary in their descent down the stairs. "I know this is not necessarily how you thought your life would go, but that does not mean happiness will elude you. Though the terms by which the two of you are to be joined are out of your hands, the future that you forge together rests within them."

Not entirely so, but a great deal did depend on Noctis and Stella, the two principals in this match. As such Noctis acknowledged his father's point with a nod.

"Good," Regis said, resuming the descent. "Altissia is a beautiful city, I can still remember the walls of water that surrounded and defined it. In a way it is a rather fitting place, to have your union be blessed before the waves in which the Hydraean slumbers."

"Considering the legends of her temperament, I'm not sure I'd want her to be the one blessing us," Noctis remarked lightly.

Regis chuckled at the sentiment. "The Princess Stella may be spirited, but I somehow doubt you would be given cause to worry overmuch about any influence Leviathan might have."

They were now at the bottom of the steps and the entourage awaiting Noctis bowed respectfully to both their lieges. After acknowledging the courtesy, Regis' gaze fell upon the four youths that now positioned themselves before him. All four came to attention upon so noticing that gaze.

"Ignis Scientia."

The neatly dressed bespectacled youth had little trouble standing attentively at the ready.

"Gladiolus Amicitia."

The hulking man's muscles tensed up, but the smoldering expression somehow felt entirely natural.

"Prompto Argentum."

The lanky blond on the other hand was noticeably more nervous than his peers at the attention given the stiffness of his posture. Nonetheless one could still see the determination on his earnest face.

"I ask not that you guide my wayward son, merely that you remain at his side."

Ignis bowed respectfully. "By your command, and by our will, Your Majesty."

"We'll see the prince to Altissia if it's the last thing we do," Gladiolus assured his liege with firm conviction.

"Yeah, what he said." Prompto, less so but still in full earnest.

Nonetheless Regis gave a satisfied nod before turning back to his son.

"Take care on the long road. Wheresoever you should go, the line of Lucis goes with you." A hand came to rest on Noctis' shoulder. "Walk tall, my son."

Noctis' lips quivered but he managed to hide any hesitation in his tone. "I will, Father."

Regis' eyes now swept over the assembled soldiers.

"Guardians of the Crown, I leave my son in your charge. See him safely to Altissia, and the future waiting for him therein."

The dozen or so soldiers of the Crownsguard, all sworn to the protection of the crown prince, saluted as one in acceptance of this charge. The Kingsglaive that they might one day join the ranks of returned the motion. In time the changing of the guard would occur, but that was a time all hoped would be yet far off. Hope was however a fragile thing, easily snuffed out by the cold edge of reality. It was however easily sparked anew in the forge of human hearts.

* * *

It was not until the convoy left Insomnia's walled premises that the sullen air about them seemed to dissipate. Perhaps that was because of the bright sun that now shined upon them, unimpeded by the rows and aisles of buildings packed within the crown city.

"Ah, that's a nice breeze," Prompto exclaimed with a content sigh.

"There is a certain freshness to the air beyond the walls," Ignis agreed. "Though I would recommend keeping a wary eye about. Sandstorms are known to brew with alarming speed in the Leide deserts after all."

"Just need to get past the mountains to the south and we'll be in more temperate lands," Gladiolus said. "And after that it's just a skip and hop away to Galdin Quay. Been a while since we've had a taste of the restaurant down there. I bet you're looking forward to one of their fish dishes, eh Noct?"

"Only if it's my fish they're cooking up," Noctis replied. "Don't suppose there's any time to break out the rod?"

"Did you seriously pack a fishing rod for your wedding?" Gladiolus said, sounding nowhere near incredulous as one might have presumed.

"Hey, what's Noct without his rod?" Prompto piped up. "Besides, Altissia is supposed to have great spots for fishing. I'm sure the Princess Stella wouldn't mind if that's how her groom-to-be wants to spend the last few moments of his freedom instead of boozing it up at a bachelor's party."

"On the other hand she probably would mind if that's what he's got in mind for the honeymoon," Gladiolus retorted.

"Hey now," Noctis protested. "I can be romantic if need be."

"Uh huh." Gladiolus did not even bother feigning belief. "Well in that case I look forward to you playing at Prince Charming when we get to Altissia."

"Charm comes in many different forms," Ignis said from up front. "I'm sure His Highness will demonstrate one befitting his stature, if only so that he is not eclipsed by Her Highness."

"Thanks," Noctis drawled.

"Hey I've been wondering," Prompto piped up. "So Tenebrae is an imperial province, right? But Princess Stella is still a, princess?"

"House Fleuret used to be the ruling family of Tenebrae," Ignis took that one, "and technically speaking still is, in accordance with the treaty that marked their incorporation into the Empire. As such, so long as the members of the royal house accede to their subordinate status in the imperial hierarchy, they are accorded the courtesies due to their station. In some respects it is similar to the treaty that Lucis will be signing."

"Oh, I see," Prompto said, sounding much more subdued. "It's hard to believe, but after the treaty, technically we'll be Nifs too, huh?"

"Don't know about you, but I ain't gonna be bowing down to some foreign emperor quite that quick," Gladiolus declared.

Wry grins cracked all around. Gladiolus was a man that wore his heart on his sleeve, and they would not have it any other way.

"Legally we would be subjects of the Empire," Ignis said, "or more precisely, we would be dependents. Lucis will not face outright incorporation as happened with Tenebrae, our situation will be closer to that of Accordo, the capital of which we are headed now."

"And, the difference would be?" Prompto queried.

"Accordo is a Protectorate," Noctis answered before Ignis could do so. "While it does not possess outright sovereignty, it's left to run its internal affairs as it sees fit. The Empire is also supposed to consult with the Accordan government on things that affect both. Tenebrae is an imperial province outright, with imperial civil servants that run the show, whatever deference the Empire shows House Fleuret."

As Noctis finished speaking, a blank silence descended upon the vehicle, interrupted only by the wisps of wind that blew past them.

"What?" the young prince said after a few moments.

"Wow Noct," Prompto responded. "That actually, sounded educated."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Noctis protested.

"Well just that it's not every day we hear words like 'sovereignty' outta your mouth," Gladiolus said.

"I am the crown prince," Noctis pointed out. "And I did go to all the same schools as Ignis. Just because I don't use as many fancy words as him doesn't mean I didn't learn them."

"Alas that Your Highness declines to demonstrate such eloquence on a more regular basis," said classmate lamented.

At the snickers that sounded Noctis shot a glare at Gladiolus, but there was no bite to his expression. He knew none of them meant anything by their own remarks after all, it was just a bit of jovial prodding.

"We will be reaching Hammerhead shortly," Ignis reported, "where we will top up on gas before heading south."

"Already?" Noctis said. "We just left the city."

"That may be so, but recall that Galdin is quite some distance away," Ignis said. "Besides, we are to meet Colonel Auburnbrie of the Territorials there."

"Dave?" Noctis sounded genuinely confused, and concerned, here. "What for?"

Some might have found it just a bit odd for a crown prince to refer so casually to an officer of the army, but one of the duties of the prince was to work with the forces stationed beyond Insomnia's walls to help maintain the peace. No future king of Lucis would be allowed to be a layabout, that much was for certain, and despite his seemingly lackadaisical attitude Noctis was far from being one, his low blood pressure in the morning notwithstanding.

"Just a status update," Ignis assured him. "You have been rather busy in the city in preparation for the treaty and the wedding."

"Oh. Well. Good."

"Don't sound so relieved Noct," Gladiolus teased. "Who knows, maybe the colonel will have us hike a couple of kilometers into the bush so we can get a firsthand experience of what he's reporting."

"Not. Gonna. Happen."

Less amused was the glare Noctis shot his friends at their snickering this time, especially considering at least one of those friends would be complaining even more profusely than him at such unexpected exercise. The banter that followed was however still lighthearted as the convoy continued rolling along. And true to Ignis' word, Hammerhead soon came into view and the three vehicles pulled into the combination outpost, gas station, and checkpoint. A detachment of the Territorial Army was ready and waiting to receive them, along with a few of the locals. There was remarkably little pomp and circumstance however, Noctis being a semi-regular sight around these parts for the past year. Granted he had been away for the last month or so, and the occasion that brought him here today was just a bit more glamorous than prior instances, so it was perhaps inevitable that a few more people did come forward to congratulate the prince or wish him well.

Of course certain of Noctis' own entourage were perhaps as eager to reacquaint themselves with certain of Hammerhead's residents.

"Cindy!" Prompto cheerfully called out, hand waving with equal enthusiasm.

"He's got it bad," Gladiolus said wearily.

"Kinda a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Noctis said as he climbed out.

"Nah, Cindy's a nice girl and all, but I'd prefer someone more direct." Gladiolus' gaze shifted to a scowling figure standing right behind the girl in question. "That and I'd rather Cid not clock me over the head with that wrench of his."

Prompto somehow managed to remain completely oblivious to Cid's glower. That or he was actively pretending to be oblivious to avoid facing it. Noctis allowed himself a chuckle before stepping forth to the greet the Territorials present. The ranking officer present, a lieutenant, offered a salute. Noctis returned it.

"Your Highness," the man greeted. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you as well, Lieutenant." Noctis looked around. "Where's Colonel Auburnbrie? I thought he was supposed to meet us here."

The lieutenant grimaced a bit. "The colonel received word of an especially dangerous varmint being sighted in the vicinity and set off with a small team to put it down before your arrival, Your Highness. We haven't had heard a peep from him or his team since."

Noctis frowned at that. The Territorials were responsible for general security in the regions of Lucis beyond Insomnia, whether that be in fending off the occasional imperial incursion or dealing with the local dangerous wildlife. While Noctis had never been allowed anywhere the former, for obvious reasons, he had participated in more than a few hunts for the latter, enough to have gained a degree of recognition via awards doled out for successful hunts.

"Iggy, how's our schedule looking?" he asked.

"We certainly have some time yet before we need to arrive at Lowgwythe," Ignis responded, "if Your Highness is inclined for a short diversion."

"Oh I'm inclined alright," Noctis said, seemingly forgetting his prior reluctance to go onto the bush. Perhaps the prospect of an actual target was getting his blood running. He looked over at the lieutenant. "Where was the colonel headed?"

"Is Your Highness certain?" the lieutenant protested, albeit rather half-heartedly. "I mean, we wouldn't want to make you late for your own wedding, wouldn't do to get you off on the wrong foot with the Princess Stella."

"I'm sure we can wrap this up with plenty of time to spare," Noctis said confidently. "And if not, Her Highness will probably forgive me for attending to affairs of state."

Then again it was not the Princess Stella's mood that they really needed to worry about, all knew full well. If Noctis was actually delayed, the Empire might interpret it as some sort of renegement of the treaty on Lucis' part, and that would be far more disastrous than any slighting of the Princess Stella. Nonetheless no one attempted to dissuade the young prince any further.

"Then we best not tally," Ignis said instead. "What was the colonel's last known location?"

The lieutenant unfolded a map and laid it out for all to see. "The colonel radioed in from here about half an hour ago, said they were on the creature's trail."

"Looks about a good twenty minutes on foot from here," Gladiolus remarked. "Fifteen if we hoof it."

"Which means we can make it in five if we ride," Noctis said. "You got any mounts ready?"

"Only four, Your Highness," the officer said apologetically. "Not enough for your entire retinue."

"We won't need everyone," Noctis said confidently. "Just the four of us will be enough."

The Territorial lieutenant looked as if he wanted to protest, but then seemed to think better of it. As crown prince, Noctis' skills were well attested and recognized by the soldiers beyond the wall. The likelihood of any simple monster, even one that gave the Territorials trouble, laying Noctis and his immediate companions low was slim indeed. There was still a reflexive urge to not hazard the prince too often however, especially so close to such an important event as his own wedding. Even so, the other two youths seemed unconcerned with the prospective dangers, and without their assistance Noctis was unlikely to be talked out of this little venture.

"Then I suppose you should collect the last member of your party," the lieutenant said with a tinge of resignation.

"Last member?" Noctis said quizzically, then noticed the lack of a certain blond youth. "Hey, Prompto! We're heading out!"

"Be there in a jiffy!" Prompto called back, parting with Cindy with noticeable reluctance and rejoining his friends. "So we ready to roll out?"

Noctis snorted. "Not quite yet. Got a little errand to run first."

"Oh, speaking of errands, Cindy asked if we could deliver something to Lowgwythe for her, since we're passing through it anyway."

Resigned sighs sounded all around.

"Sure we got enough space in the trunk?" Gladiolus said.

"If not, we could always leave Prompto behind," Ignis quipped.

"That would mean I'd get more leg-room in the back once we dropped the package off," Noctis added.

"Ah hey, c'mon guys," Prompto protested. "Of course I checked to make sure we had the space. Whaddya take me for?"

"Someone batting way outta his league?" Gladiolus suggested.

"Well she hasn't said no yet," Noctis pointed out.

"Only because he has yet to ask," Ignis pointed out.

"Wow, thanks for the support there guys," Prompto retorted. "So, if we're not heading to Lowgwythe yet, where are we going?"

"The colonel might have gotten himself into a spot of trouble," Ignis answered. "His Highness has graciously decided to help look into the matter."

A kewh sounded, along with the thump of clawed feet.

"Ah, and here are our mounts."

At that a wide grin was plastered over Prompto's face. "Aww yeah."

"C'mon, let's make tracks," Noctis said, climbing on. "If the colonel really is in trouble, we shouldn't keep him waiting."

"If only you were so dutiful with your other royal obligations," Ignis said as he mounted.

"Like eating his vegetables?" Gladiolus quipped.

"Everyone's a critic," Noctis sighed. "Lieutenant, I'll radio in once we find the colonel."

"Take care out there Your Highness," the Territorial said. "Wouldn't do for you to get too roughed up before your big day."

Noctis nodded, then to the other Crownsguard officer. "Hold down the fort until we get back."

"If Your Highness absolutely insists on this little jaunt," the man said with a clear tone of weary resignation.

"Oh I insist alright," Noctis said, and with a snap of the reins took off atop his chocobo.

With a cry the yellow bird broke out into a full on sprint, with three more right behind. Technically Noctis should have allowed one of the others to take the lead, but the crown prince was not one to lead from the rear. As they headed further west, patches of greenery topped by rundown shacks and sheds began to pop up on the land.

"Hard to imagine this place used to be farmland," Gladiolus remarked as he sidled up next to Noctis. "Remember my old man talking about how the fields here provided Insomnia with fresh produce year-round. Now food has to be shipped in all the way from Duscae."

The birds were now going at a more leisurely trot as they recovered from the initial burst.

"What caused the place to dry up?" Prompto asked, moving onto Noctis' other flank.

"The shield protecting Lucis had to be pulled back to just the crown city itself," the prince said with a grimace. "That was about when Leide started to lose its moisture. We still don't know why, the aqueducts that fed water into the region weren't sending any less, at least before they were shut off outright, but it just seemed to, disappear."

"His Majesty attempted to investigate while he was still the crown prince himself," Ignis put in from behind the trio. "Unfortunately he was unable to determine the cause before being required to assume his duties as sovereign. Perhaps Noct here will finish what his father started."

"Sure, I'll add it onto my todo list," Noctis quipped before snapping the reins again.

The chocobo dashed off in turn, marking the end of this particular exchange. Despite their somewhat jovial mannerism, all four youths kept a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary as they rode. They had only been given an approximate location for where Dave and the other Territorials might be after all, meaning the actual task of finding the soldiers fell squarely on their attention to detail.

"Hey, over there," Prompto suddenly called out. "That camp site's flag is red."

"Good eye, Prompto," Noctis congratulated his friend. "The colonel and the others must have passed by here. Let's see if they dropped a marker."

As some of the few safe havens outside of major settlements at night, the sigiled campgrounds were also used by the Territorials as rallying points on their patrols. To further aid in carrying out their duty, stockpiles of supplies and drop boxes for messages were maintained at each haven. If a patrol left a message in the box, it would switch out the flag marking the sight from white to red. And sure enough, as Noctis hopped off his chocobo and flipped open the box, a scrap of people was waiting inside.

"Who's a good boy," Prompto's voice sounded in the background as he scratched his chocobo's cheeks.

The bird gave a happy kewh. As if jealous of the attention being paid its fellow, Noctis' mount tried to cuddle against the prince.

"Hey, easy there," Noctis said, though he still indulged his own bird with a scratch on the head.

"So what's it say?" Gladiolus asked, still atop his bird.

"Well, it's definitely the colonel's handwriting," Noctis said, holding out the paper for his friend to examine. "Near as I can make out, they headed northwest."

"Huh," Gladiolus grunted, giving the paper a quick glance but not taking it.

In the background Ignis could be heard calling in over the radio, updating the Hammerhead outpost with the latest. Hopefully this way if another rescue party needed to be dispatched, they could save some time. With clue in hand, Noctis and company headed in the indicated direction.

"So do we know what kind of monster the colonel went after?" Prompto asked.

"Not as such," Ignis replied. "Only that it was problematic enough to warrant his attention."

The blond youth let out a whistle. "That doesn't sound good."

"Even worse is him not reporting back in," Gladiolus remarked. "The colonel's always been the careful sort, doesn't like taking risks on a whim. Unlike a certain royal we all know and love."

"Aww, and I thought you guys didn't care," Noctis remarked dryly.

With another snap of the reins Noctis' bird charged ahead. The prince could hear the sighs from at least two of his ostensible minders.

"Try not to provoke His Highness too readily, Gladio," Noctis caught before he was out of earshot. "It makes seeing after him all that much more troublesome."

The prince suppressed a smirk. He was pretty sure Ignis was intentionally being loud enough to be heard. More minutes passed as the four trotted across the arid landscape, noting any signs of the missing patrol. Nature could be quick to wipe away the man and beast, but fortunately not enough time had passed for her to finish her work. It was as they approached the haven at Palebram that they caught sight of smoke rising into the sky.

"Hey, you think that's the colonel?" Prompto suggested.

"Only one way to find out," Noctis declared.

And off they went, the four chocobos surging forth as fast they could. All the birds were well trained and kept, managing to maintain the pace all the way to the campgrounds. The sight of weary soldiers greeted them well before they reached their destination, but as they drew closer the relief these men and women felt became more evident as they drew closer. Hoping off deftly as his bird came to a halt, Noctis greeted the Territorials.

"Colonel Auburnbrie," Noctis said, tapping his chest in acknowledgement of the salute Dave gave him. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Your Highness," Dave said. "I wasn't expecting to see you out here."

"We heard that you were out hunting from Hammerhead," Noctis explained. "Seeing as you were late reporting in, I thought it best to see if you needed any help."

"That right," Dave said with a wry smile. "And I can't say I ain't glad you showed, Your Highness. Your pardon for dragging you all the way out here while yer headed for your own wedding."

While the two chatted, the rest of Noctis' party were seeing to the wounded. They each had a small supply of imbued energy drinks and the like and were busy distributing them to help with the more serious injuries the patrol had suffered. The magic possessed by the Lucian royal family was quite potent, so the soldiers here should at least survive long enough to get treatment back at a proper outpost.

"So what's this monster that's been giving you trouble?"

Dave raised an eyebrow. "I reckon you boys're aiming to bring it down yerselves?"

"That's the plan, sir," Gladiolus said respectfully, rejoining Noctis. "Wouldn't feel right to just leave the Territorials hanging like this when we'll be out of the country for a fair bit."

"There is that," Dave nodded. "Well, if this won't put Yer Highness off your trek too much, I'd be mighty appreciative of you taking care o' this varmint."

"What exactly is it anyway?" Noctis asked. "It's been a while since a monster showed up that the Territorials couldn't handle."

"Reckon we coulda dealt with this one too if we'd known what we were getting into," Dave said. "It's a dualhorn, cept this one's tougher than any we run into before."

"A dualhorn," Ignis remarked, having completed his own rounds with Prompto. "They are supposed to be fairly shy creatures, herbivores that keep away from human settlements."

"This one's anything but shy," Dave stated. "First got wind of it last month, folks saying they seen it wandering by what little gardens and whatnot they keep for veggies. Then two weeks back, it parked itself by the road and started trying to run down cars passing by. Was long gone by the time we got there, so when word came in that it was spotted again, I grabbed a patrol to put it down for good."

"Wonder what could have made it so aggressive," Gladiolus questioned.

"At this point it doesn't matter," Noctis said. "If we find it, it's going down."

"Anything we should know about our quarry?" Ignis asked, always mindful of the details.

"Well, thing's hide's thicker than we expected," Dave answered. "Bullets seemed to just bounce off it. And it's quicker than you'd think for something that big. When we tried to get in close and personal, lotta my boys and girls got banged up bad."

"Sounds like we'll have to approach this more tactically," Ignis said.

"Right," Noctis agreed. "Gladio, see if you can grab its attention, keep it locked down."

The bulky youth slammed fist to palm. "No problem."

"Prompto, you'll watch his back. If there's an opening, take the shot. Focus on that thing's horns. If you can break it, that'll make thins a lot easier."

"Gotcha."

"Ignis, you and me'll take it from the flanks. If I can get enough momentum, I should be able to punch through its skin, and that'll be that."

"A simple but effective strategy," Ignis agreed.

"Won't exactly be our first rodeo," Noctis said, "but, I wouldn't blame you guys if you're all a little rusty after a month cooped up in the crown city."

Gladiolus snorted. "And whose hand kept slipping the last time we were out here?"

"Or all the times he didn't mean to do that?" Prompto added.

"His Highness at least has the courtesy to say he's sorry," Ignis summed up.

"I could always break out the spells," Noctis said. "Kinda fun watching you guys twitching because you stepped into a puddle after I brought down the thunder."

Dave gave a sigh. "Why I bother worryin' at all about the monsters."

The four teens chuckled, then straightened as Noctis issued another salute.

"Reinforcements should be here soon to help move the wounded back to Hammerhead," Noctis said. "Look forward to the good news when we get back, Colonel."

Dave nodded, returning the motion. "I will, Yer Highness. And be safe, ya hear?"

* * *

"Okay, I distinctly remember Dave saying they were chasing a dualhorn," Prompto remarked. "Are we sure that's a dualhorn?"

The four were gazing down from a rocky outcrop, surveying their target and the surrounding area.

"It has two horns," Gladiolus noted. "What else do you want?"

"How about something that's smaller than a tank!?" Prompto responded.

"The colonel did note this particular specimen was unusual," Ignis put in. "Still, this does add a small wrinkle to our plan."

"What, you think I can't take it?" Gladiolus said.

"You might, Prompto not so much," Noctis said.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Noct," said youth responded, though he did not sound terribly broken up about the lack thereof.

"His Highness does have a point," Ignis said. "Would your firearm stand any chance of piercing the hide on this beast?"

"Well, probably not," Prompto conceded. "At least not the one I brought with me."

"Whattabout that drill thing?" Gladiolus suggested.

"That might work," Ignis said. "What say you, Prompto?"

The momentary pause was not due to hesitation on Prompto's part, the young man was instead weighing the proposal suggested by his friends.

"Yeah, I think the drillbreaker would be able to get through that thing's hide. Though you guys'd need to stop that thing moving around for a bit."

"Can do," Gladiolus said confidently.

"We'll certainly try," Ignis said more frankly.

Noctis rose. "Then let's get to it."

The others followed after him, with Gladiolus taking the lead as per their original plan. Of course that plan had died before they even met the enemy, so it was something of an open question whether the new one would survive much longer.

The dualhorn most definitely noticed their approach, as it turned about and gave a loud roar. It was not the most bloodcurdling roar the four had ever heard, in fact to their practiced ears it sounded more of a panicked prey than a vicious predator. Probably because for all the dualhorn's bulk, it was still an herbivore and so lower on the food chain than say a behemoth, or even a sabertusk. That did not make it any less dangerous however.

"Right here you bastard!" Gladiolus called out, trying to make himself as conspicuous as possible.

With a glimmer a greatsword appeared in his hands while a shield strapped itself to his left arm. Prompto leveled his pistol while Ignis twirled his knives. Noctis gripped his own sword, feeding it mana and causing it edges of the black blade to glow red. The dualhorn roared another challenge, and began its charge. Gladiolus stood his ground while the others scattered, but it was not as if even he had any intention of taking the charge head-on like that. As the dualhorn was upon him, he rolled deftly out of the way before bringing his greatsword crashing down.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A loud crack accompanied Gladiolus' warcry, which was quickly echoed by the dualhorn screaming in pain. The thing went berserk, swinging about back and forth in a blind rage as it tried to find something, anything to stomp on to vent its agony. Gladiolus' arm tingled as it rammed into his shield, sending the young man sliding back but otherwise unharmed. That conveniently also put him out of the monster's reach, if only momentarily.

Despite the sound, the dualhorn had not actually lost one of its namesake horns. A very visible fracture could be spotted however, and it was probably because it was not a clean break outright that it was in such pain. Any semblance of thought or cunning went out the window on the creature's part as it charged at Gladiolus again. Before it could reach its target however a flare of blue light smashed into its side, sending the creature careening over. The shrill cry this time was of surprise, but it was immediately followed by a shriek of pain as a trickle of blood ran down Noctis' blade.

"Gladio!" the prince called out.

With a grunt, the large youth spun about to give his strike added momentum and slammed his blade onto the dualhorn's head. This time the blow was true and one of the horns came clean off.

"Prompto!"

Even as he called out, Noctis disappeared in another blue flash to give way for his friend. The blond young dove right through the opening, a large black and gray machine appearing in his hands. A loud thud marked its firing, as did the geyser of blood that erupted from the toppled dualhorn.

"That do it!?" Prompto called out as he too fell back.

Amazingly, the creature actually pulled itself back onto its feet. If anything it looked even angrier than before.

"It's losing a great deal of blood," Ignis said. "It should weaken the longer the fight draws out."

"The same could be said for us," Gladiolus pointed out. "Not like we've got unlimited stamina too."

"Then it's finish it," Noctis said.

"Got any bright ideas how?" Prompto asked.

"It will certainly favor defending its wounded right side," Ignis said. "If we aim for it, we should be able to create an opening to exploit."

"You heard him boys," Noctis said. "Prompto, thing should be softened up enough for your gun to work. Gladio, same drill as before, keep the thing distracted. Ignis, you see an opening, mark it. I'll take it from there."

"As Your Highness commands."

There probably was not any sarcasm in that remark. Noctis snorted. Probably.

"Let's go!"

Instead of waiting for the beast to charge, this time Gladiolus was the one to advance. With another cry he swung at the creature, the blade scrapping across the thing's hard skin. A white trace was left in its wake, but the hide was too tough to pierce outright with such a meager effort.

"Tch. C'mon you beast! What're you waiting for!"

Roaring in answer, the dualhorn charged Gladiolus, but its pace was noticeably shallower. Bracing himself, Gladiolus slammed his shield against the side of the remaining horn. The blow sent a violent ring vibrating through both of them, but it was the dualhorn that came out the worse as it staggered back. It was a poor moment to be so distracted however as a trio of shots landed unerringly against its wounded flesh. Twisting about, it tried to keep out of Prompto's line of fire, only to turn right into another swing from Gladiolus' greatsword. The creature jerked back from the strike, its footing become more uncertain as it struggled to maintain its bearing. All initiative had been robbed from it however as the quartet hounded it without pause. Forced to defend itself from multiple directions, the dualhorn tripped over its own feet and crashed onto its side.

"NOW NOCT!" Ignis called, tossing his dagger to mark the target.

"Here I COME!"

Teleporting into the air, Noct's sword disappeared to be replaced by a long polearm. Gravity and the added spin from his own body saw the axeblade slice through the creature's neck and sink deep into the flesh. The dualhorn had time to gurgle once before Gladiolus leapt into the air and brought his greatsword down, striking the polearm and driving it all the way through. The wet thud was accompanied by a loud crack as the thing's neck was shattered. The creature twitched, and then slumped still.

"We get it?" Prompto asked nervously.

"We got it," Noctis answered with weary sigh.

"Quite the beast," Ignis noted. "Little wonder the Territorials had their hands full."

"Good thing they got us watching their back, huh?" Gladiolus said.

Crouching down, Noctis looked over the dead creature. "Ignis, whaddya make of this?"

Leaning over, the bespectacled man frowned. "Its blood is of a darker shade than I would have expected."

"Thought so," Noctis said. "This wasn't some ordinary dualhorn, something made it go berserk."

"Any ideas as to what, Noct?" Ignis asked.

To that the prince shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's just, this thing _feels_ wrong."

"You think it's some sort of magic curse?" Gladiolus suggested. "Something that you can sense because of your connection to the crystal?"

"Maybe." Noctis rose. "We'll let Dave know, and he can pass on a report back to Insomnia. We've still got a ferry to catch." He looked down at his clothes. "Should also probably get cleaned up beforehand."

"There are shower facilities at Longwythe that we can avail ourselves of when we stop there," Ignis suggested. "We were volunteered to deliver a package for Ms. Cindy after all."

Prompto let out a nervous chuckle. "Hey, things worked out alright."

"This time," Gladiolus put in.

"All's well that ends well," Ignis said somewhat laconically.

"Well this isn't the end yet," Noctis said, "far from it."

Blowing into the whistle, it was not long before the four chocobos scampered over to their riders.

"Hey you think we could grab a quick bite to eat before we set out from Hammerhead?" Prompto asked.

"Work up an appetite from our little excursion?" Ignis said.

"Guy's got a point," Gladiolus backed his friend up. "Can't keep an eye on Noct on an empty stomach."

"True enough," Ignis agreed. "I'm certain Takka will be able to wipe up a nicely balanced meal despite the short notice."

"Balanced," Noctis drawled. "Right."

Despite himself the prince shared a chuckle with the others. Still he could not help glance back at the fallen beast. It seemed a shame to have been forced to kill it, especially since it might not have been the dualhorn's fault it was acting aggressive in the first place. A frown creased Noctis' expression. For a moment he thought he saw some sort of black mist seeping out from the beast. Almost as if…

"Noct?"

Blinking, Noctis looked over at Prompto. "What?"

"You okay there buddy? You were spacing out a bit."

Looking back at the carcass, Noctis found no sign of the previous imagery.

"Yeah, just peachy." He snapped the chocobo's reins. "Let's go."

End of Chapter 1

Had a bit of time while I'm waiting for a certain something to be done before I push the next chapter for my other stories, so I decided to work on this one a bit. _A Cold Calculus_ is also almost done, so once that's wrapped up this one should see a slightly faster rate of update. Maybe. We'll see.

One of the things I needed to work out when I started this story is how the canon game's people and organizations would fit in. This chapter reintroduces Dave and the Hunters as the Lucian Territorial Army, a formal military force under the command of the Lucian government. The Territorials are one of three branches of the Lucian military, with the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive as the other two. The Territorials are arguably the largest segment of Lucis' military, seeing as they are composed of just your average citizen. Instead of magic, they primarily rely on firearms and other conventional weapons to fight. With support from the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive, they're the first line of defense for the kingdom against Niflheim's aggression.

This portrayal of the Territorials also implies that the empire has not managed to conquer the regions beyond Insomnia. Indeed in my version of the story Lucis still has all of its territory. Maintaining its borders has been costly however and the kingdom is slowly being worn down, hence Regis' decision to sign the treaty. The fact that all of the territories to the west of Insomnia are still Lucian at this point is going to play a major role in how the rest of the story unfolds and how things develop. As noted, this is not the story of a roadtrip. This is a story of war and politics, and the weight of leadership that Noctis must endure.

I think this is the first time I've ever attempted to consciously write different speech patterns for different characters. It's a lot more complicated than it looks at first glance. It requires explicitly switching my stream of consciousness in order to partition the patterns, which is actually rather taxing mentally. It is however necessary if I want the characters to actually sound like they did in the story. And overall it is good practice if nothing else and might prove handy in the future.

Interleaving dialogue with action is also pretty difficult. To give the impression that the guys aren't just standing in one place when they're talking, that they're actually moving on the chocobos. It's similar for when they're driving the Regalia or if they're in the middle of a fight. All these things a reader needs cues to remind them of what is happening in the background to make it easier to imagine. Games and movies have it easier where you can actually see what is going on. Books, less so.

Drop a review to let me know what you all think. And if you have a question I'll do my best to answer in future author notes.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

An Opportune Window

"Man, Coctura's cooking just gets better and better every time we eat here," Prompto extolled. "She could give even the Citadel's chefs a run for their money."

The remnants of a superb meal lay on the table between the four in their private suite and the laggard postures of at least three of the party gave further testament to the quality of the food.

"It is indeed inspiring to bear witness to such culinary heights," Ignis remarked. "If nothing else it provides a goal for one to aspire to."

"Sure you're not just looking to filch more recipes from her?" Noctis teased his friend.

"I don't recall you complaining when I attempt to reproduce her cooking when we are camping," Ignis deftly retorted. "It certainly puts to good use all the fish you reel in whenever the opportunity arises."

"Can't argue with that," Noctis conceded.

A knock sounded, intruding upon the post-meal repose. Not surprisingly Ignis was the one to rise and answer. After a few words in exchange with the guard outside, the door was opened wider and a familiar, albeit not entirely welcome face, appeared.

"Hey yer highness, been a while, yeah?" a jovial voice sounded.

At the sight of the somewhat neatly dressed man, Gladiolus let a slight groan sound while Prompto flashed a wry smile. Noctis however simply sighed.

"Why am I not surprised to see you sniffing around, Dino?" Noctis said.

"What can I say? The nose knows a good story when it smells one, and what's a bigger story than the treaty and the crown prince's upcoming wedding?" Dino said with his trademark smarmy smirk.

It was hard to describe the opinion Noctis and his friends held of one Dino Ghiranze. That he was a good reporter was not in doubt, indeed Dino could be fearless, almost ruthless in his pursuit of the truth. He was also an unashamed opportunist, perfectly willing to pry favors out of the prince and his entourage when given the chance. Granted he paid every favor back, but each exchange with Dino always left a slightly sour aftertaste, in contrast to Coctura's splendid cuisine. What the gourmet chef saw in the reporter was anyone's guess.

"One underestimates the fourth estate at one's peril," Ignis remarked, though whether as a compliment or a condemnation, it could go either way.

Once the door closed shut, Dino plopped down without further invitation. No one chided the man for doing so, indeed all four of the youths were paying Dino with rapt attention. Pulling out a carton of cigarettes, the reporter paused a moment as he met Noctis' gaze. Only after the prince gave a nod of assent did Dino pick one out and stick it in his mouth. The man might be flippant but he was not entirely without tact.

"So is it just business that brings you here today, or have you mixed in a bit of pleasure?" Ignis inquired.

"You know me, my business is my pleasure," Dino answered after lighting the cigarette and taking a long draw. "As for youse gents though, howabout we get the business outta the way before pleasure?"

"Sounds good to me," Noctis agreed.

After tapping off some ash from his cigarette Dino inhaled again. "Okay, so this news's already old by about a week or two, but it's the latest we've got from Altissia. The Empire's Third Legion is in the city itself, officially to provide security for the ceremony. They've also been shuffling around the Sixth, that's the one holding down the fort in Tenebrae, moving them closer to Accordo. What for, I can probably guess. But the real kicker would hafta be the Fourth. Get this, units from the Fourth have been spotted in northern Accordo, inside Protectorate borders."

That Dino was a useful resource was undeniable, whatever minor irritation he evoked in Noctis and his friends. The real reason they continued accepting his presence however was the simple fact that Dino was not just a reporter. As an unofficial asset of the Lucian intelligence service, it was more than just favors Dino provided an opportunity to trade for, it was information. And as Ignis had so sagely pointed out, one underestimated the fourth estate at one's great peril.

"The Fourth," Gladiolus said glumly, then looked over at Noctis. "I really don't like the sound of that."

"The Fourth," Prompto repeated. "Isn't that, like, the Empire's shock legion or something?"

"Indeed," Ignis confirmed. "Also known as the Legion of Death. They were the first legion to be completely reequipped with magitek troopers, and it was those same troopers that ultimately slayed the Glacian. If the Empire truly has deployed them within Accordan territory, it would not be mere contingency."

"But, why?" Prompto said aloud what they were all thinking. "I mean, didn't the Nifs agree to the treaty? Isn't the Emperor himself going to Insomnia for the signing ceremony?"

"They did," Noctis said, "and he is. In fact he should have arrived this evening."

"It is hard to fathom the Empire hazarding their own emperor like this," Ignis said. "Then again, perhaps that is the point, to lower Lucis' guard by attempting something so outrageous."

"You can say that again," Gladiolus remarked. "If Dino here knows about the Fourth, you can bet Noct's old man does too. No way His Majesty'd take all this lying down."

"Which may be part of the plan," Ignis pointed out. "Niflheim could be hoping to provoke His Majesty into doing something that they could pass off as Lucis violating the treaty, to provide pretext for a renewed offensive."

"But why bother?" Prompto asked. "I mean, what's the point? We were already at war, why go through all this song and dance with a treaty if they're still planning on invading?"

"Yes, that is indeed the question," Ignis said. "Any thoughts on that point, Dino?"

The reporter gave his cigarette another puff. "You boys're thinkin' too much like the standup Lucians you are. You need to think like Nifs. Is there any point in pretending to make nice with Lucis only to stab us in the back? Course not, from the war's perspective at least. But the Nifs don't just have to worry about the war, they gotta worry about the people back home, and the people closer to home that might not like the war."

"Are you suggesting public support for the war is falling in Niflheim?" Ignis asked.

"Some, but not like that hasn't happened before," Dino responded with a shrug, "and the imperial government's always been perfectly happy to ignore that sentiment. No, I'm talking about in places that're now part of the Empire, but used to not be."

Eyes narrowed all around there as the four youths picked up on the implications.

"Accordo and Tenebrae," Noctis said for all of them.

"Exactamundo," Dino said, stubbing out his cigarette. "See, before this treaty talk started, the Empire had to be careful how they treated the two, otherwise they could touch off an open revolt and add two more fronts to the war. But that light touch means the Nifs can't do some of the things they'd really like to do, like take Accordo and Tenebrae's crystals and move them to the imperial capital. And technically even after the treaty with Lucis they still can't, legally at least. But if they can take Lucis off the board, and do it in a way that lets them shift troops back to their uh, more restive provinces, well, that opens up some options, legal or otherwise."

"The treaty with Lucis stipulates that the Kingdom is to retain custody of our crystal," Ignis noted. "If the Empire could create some pretext that they could spin as Lucis violating the treaty, they could then claim the crystal while nominally being in the right."

"Right my ass," Gladiolus growled. "No one's gonna buy it for a second that Lucis would violate the treaty."

"Don't be too sure of that," Dino chided the youth. "Public opinion's as much a battlefield as any you flex your muscles on, cept here the muscle you need is your brain. If the Empire really is trying to get Lucis' crystal, they'll have put a lotta thought and work into this lie of theirs. And who are people in the Empire gonna believe? Their own government, or some Lucian backstabbers that their government says broke the treaty first?"

The growl sounded again but Gladiolus did not argue the point. Whatever his preference for simple solutions, he was hardly fool enough to dismiss Dino's assertion.

"So the question then is when will the attack come," Noctis said. "Do you think the Empire would really risk the Emperor?"

"If they, or rather Iedolas himself, believes the prize worthy, yes," Ignis stated frankly.

Noctis pursed his lips. Considering the prize in question was not just Lucis itself, but the kingdom's crystal, then it was all too easy to imagine Niflheim casting the die. The question then was what he, or anyone really, could do about it.

"Should we maybe not go to Altissa then?" Prompto suggested. "If the Empire is going to attack anyway, shouldn't we fort up instead?"

"That could arguably provide Niflheim the pretext they need to justify military action to their own populace," Ignis said. "Granted the Empire obviously intends to spin whatever fairytale is required in either case, we should not be too eager to make it any easier for them."

"My old man would have known about all this before sending us out," Noctis added. "He knew about the positioning of the Empire's legions, but he still let us go. He wouldn't have if he thought keeping us in Insomnia would have done any good. But that doesn't mean he thought the trip to Altissa itself would be pointless either."

"Correctomundo," Dino said with a knowing smirk. "Nice to see your noggin' working so hard, Your Highness."

"Thanks," Noctis drawled. "But it's still up to us to figure out how to make the trip to Altissa, not pointless. Any ideas?"

The others all adopted pensive expressions as they pondered the question. No answers emerged however, at least not amongst Noctis' companions.

"Whattya saying," Dino said, lighting another cigarette. "Youse guys goin' to Altissa might just be the kingdom's best shot at holding off the Nifs."

That drew quizzical looks all around.

"Uh, how?" Noctis asked quizzically.

The reporter took a quick puff. "Jeez louise Your Highness, did you already forget what you're going for? Who you're going for?"

Noctis blinked. "Stella?"

"Ah," Ignis said at the same time.

The blank look Noctis gave his childhood friend made clear whatever epiphany Ignis reached was not shared by the prince.

"The Princess Stella is of the royal family of Tenebrae," Ignis stated matter-of-factly, "whom were permitted to retain their royal dignities so long as they and their subjects refrained from asserting themselves against imperial rule. This they have done, as far as we know."

Understanding finally lit up in Noctis' eyes. "But if the Fleurets are trying to regain their nation's freedom, then they could be allies against the Empire, from _within_ the Empire."

"Precisely, Your Highness," Ignis said. "And not just the Fleurets. Lest we forget, despite Accordo's longer time as part of the Empire, it too was an independent nation once. Should Lucis fall, the Empire might be less restrained in interfering with Accordan affairs, whatever the official terms of Accordo's annexation. That has to make the Accordan government at least a little nervous."

"Which might make them open to cutting some sorta deal with Lucis and Tennebrae," Gladiolus finished that thought. He looked over at the prince. "Well Noct, up to playing ambassador?"

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice," Noctis said. "Still, if we can get to Altissa, and if I can talk with Stella and the Accordan government, we might just have a shot."

"A long one, but it's better than nadda," Dino said.

"Right," Noctis agreed. "Thanks for the info, Dino."

"Hey, just doin' my job," Dino said with a wave of his hand. "Speaking of my job, how's about we get to my other one? Still gotta few questions for you about your big day."

Noctis chuckled. "Alright, I suppose I do owe you an exclusive."

"Gotta pay the bills somehow, this whole spy gig doesn't exactly bring in lots of dough. So uh, let's start with the simple stuff first. How's you feeling about your big day?"

Another chuckle sounded. "That's simple?"

"Well I could ask if you've figured out what your vows will be, but I thought you'd appreciate a few softballs first."

"Alright Dino," Noctis said, holding his hands up. "Easy does it. Umm, I guess I'm kind of looking forward to it."

And fell silent.

"That's it?" Dino said incredulously. "Just looking forward to it? You're marrying one of the loveliest ladies in all Eos and you're just looking forward to it?"

"Well when you put it that way," Noctis said wryly. "Yes, I'm looking forward to it. And it's not just because I'm marrying a pretty girl. Stella, she's someone I care about."

"Oh ho, so the rumors of you two being childhood friends ain't just gossip?"

Noctis actually considered that for a moment.

"We met when we were kids, when I spent a few months in Tenebrae," Noctis said. "During that time, Stella and I played together a lot." The prince chuckled. "She was more for running outdoors in the bush than hitting the books back then, but once in the castle, she could pull off a proper curtsey like only a princess could."

None of the others made a peep as they listened to Noctis, seeing as all they knew about Stella came from the prince himself. And though Noctis was not averse to speaking about it, it was always due to some prompting from others. He rarely volunteered such information on his own initiative.

"We kept in touch after I left," Noctis said, "through letters. I got quite the scare when I heard the Empire had invaded, and I was just plain happy to hear from her again afterward. And since then, well, Stella's definitely grown up. I can feel it in the words she sets down." He gave a rueful chuckle. "Sometimes it feels like she's leaving me behind, that I'm still just a kid compared to her."

The amusement rippled through his audience and no one made any attempt to deny Noctis' self-deprecation.

"Sometimes I have to wonder though, what drove Stella to grow up so quickly," Noctis continued. "What weight she feels to, do so much."

The question was rhetorical as even Noctis knew the answer. No one gave voice to it however.

"I want to make her happy," Noctis said. "Beyond the politics, beyond the matters of state, I just want to make her happy. But honestly? I don't know if that's something I can do."

This admission, this display of weakness, was not something Noctis would have shown just anyone. Gathered before him however were some of his most trusted retainers and cadre. Even Dino, despite being held at a greater remove, was still counted as a friend, even a mentor. Someone had needed to teach the four youths of the grittier side of the world after all, the side of the world where you might not be able to see your enemy. And for all the friendly ribbing and jokes that were exchanged, those around Noctis understood well certain lines should not be crossed, when what the prince needed was not humor to lighten the mood but genuine, frank answers to his worries.

"Women," Dino began his response, "they ain't as simple as us guys. We don't tend to think too hard about our choices, we just go ahead and act. But women? They like to talk about stuff, and think about stuff, and then talk about it some more. But don't go thinking that means they don't act. When they do, that means they've made a choice, and it's one that's got all the weight of all their thinking and talking behind it. Where we guys'll keep plowing ahead cause we got nothing else to go on, they'll keep going because of all the momentum they're carrying. Now which do ya think'd be harder to stop?"

Another rhetorical question that, and certainly something for the gang to chew on.

"Though the union may be part of a diplomatic accord, the Princess Stella still acceded to it," Ignis remarked. "Take some heart, Noct, in Her Highness' decision to do so, for it marks also her belief that you do not fall short of her standards."

Noctis gave a wry chuckle. "Thanks, Ignis."

A brief lull hung over the room, but it was soon interrupted as Gladiolus cleared his throat.

"Course, she hasn't heard of the honeymoon plans yet."

While Ignis successfully stifled a chuckle into a grunt, Prompto's leaked out as a more carefree spluttering. Noctis' jaw dropped momentarily before he shot Gladiolus a betrayed look.

"What's this now? Surely the Prince ain't gonna take the lovely Princess Stella out on some fishing trip?" Dino interjected.

"It's a cruise," Noctis said defensively. "We're taking my old man's yacht from Altissa back to Lucis as a cruise. We're _not_ going fishing!"

"Are you kidding me?" Gladiolus did not relent. "All that clear blue ocean around you and you're telling me you won't be casting the rod at least once?"

The stuttering attempt of a response Noctis gave convinced no one, not even the prince himself. He finally gave an exhausted sigh.

"This interview is over! Dino, you got what you needed, you can just make up the rest!"

"Your Highness, you wound me. I'm a genuine investigative reporter, not a tabloid gossiper."

"No, you're part of the intelligence community," Noctis shot back. "Which means you make up everything, instead of just half of things."

The laughter that echoed was shared by all, and earnest indeed.

* * *

The sound of the tide lapping against the shore was either soothingly melodic or noisy static depending on one's sensibilities. To Noctis it was like a calming lullaby, washing away all the duties and responsibilities that weighed upon his shoulders. Here, within earshot of the waves, he could at least attempt to still his mind. Within that relative serenity, he focused, trying to sharpen his thoughts and give them form.

A long, thick blade with a curved edge slowly materialized, in both his mind and before him. From the tip it grew, widening to form a strong back even as the edge narrowed into a thin glint. A slight wedge shape tapered off the cutting side, but a blade along did not make a sword. One still needed the means to wield it, preferably without injury. A handle began to form, when a singular crack sounded and everything collapsed in shower of blue sparkles. Noctis opened his eyes, and sighed.

"Damn," he murmured.

"Still unable to complete the image of our sword, Your Highness?" Ignis remarked from behind.

The bespectacled youth was sounding a tad more formal than usual, but seeing the subject matter being broached it was not entirely out of place.

"Seems like," Noctis responded, looking down at his hands. "It's strange, I can see the blade itself, but the rest of it is still, fuzzy. When I try to think of what the hilt or the grip looks like, I just draw a blank."

"According to His Majesty, the weapon that becomes your royal arm is a manifestation of your will, but your will is the sum of everything that has left a mark upon you," Ignis said. "Perhaps you have simply yet to encounter anything that so moves your soul."

"Perhaps," Noctis said with a wry smile. "I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing, it's not like I've had a sedate life so far."

"No, you have not," Ignis agreed with no small degree of solemnness.

With a sigh, Noctis gave his arms a stretch. "Well, that's about all the training I'm really in the mood for. You think we've got enough light for me to cast a line?"

Ignis gave a resigned chuckle.

"I don't see why not," he said nonetheless, leaving further chiding for the morrow when Noctis would predictably regret having forestalled sleep for indulging in his favored hobby.

"Great."

With a flick of his wrist, a fishing pole appeared in Noctis' hand and he headed down towards the docks with a cheerful whistle. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly the young prince was not the only one trying their luck with the fishes this night, but then again Galdin Quay was known for its picturesque beaches and plentiful bounty. The territorials also were usually able to keep any monsters at bay, and Accordo's refusal to play host to any invasion force against Lucis meant most incursions by the Empire landed further west. All in all the bay was a relative scene of tranquility against the backdrop of the wider war, something both residents and visitors were quick to take advantage of. One such visitor this evening was even a familiar face to Noctis and company.

"Well if it isn't Noct Gar himself," a jovial voice sounded.

With a wide smile, Noctis greeted the older man. "Navyth, what brings you here? Besides the good fishing of course."

The man in question chuckled. It was a chance encounter that first brought Navyth and Noctis together, the latter stumbling upon the former's secret fishing spot out west in the Vesperpool one fine morning. From that time onward the two had bounded over their shared passion, with Navyth happy to impart any bits of wisdom he had and Noctis eager to learn from the accomplished angler.

"My niece asked me to drop by and help land some big ones," his eyes twinkled, "something about needing to serve up a big meal for some fancy guests of hers."

"That right," Noctis said, grinning back. "Well between you and Coctura, there is absolutely no doubt that the evening's meal was fit for a prince."

"Glad to hear it," Navyth said, dipping his hat ever so slightly.

It was in many ways a rather pointless subterfuge, Navyth having figured out whom Noctis was shortly after the two first met. At the same time maintaining this illusion allowed the two to remain on informal terms, and even let Noctis show a degree of deference to the older man's fishing skills. As much as Navyth might insist that Noctis now surpassed him, the young man could not help but still think of the former as a mentor of sorts, one whose wisdom extended beyond just the rod and line.

"There any interesting catches tonight?" Noctis asked as he made a few practice swings with his rod.

"Nothing as impressive as the Devil of the Cygillan, I'm afraid," Navyth answered. "The bass have been biting rather eagerly of late, though. I'm sure you could land quite the whopper if you set your mind to it."

"Challenge accepted," Noctis said eagerly.

From behind Ignis simply sighed again, resigning himself to also missing a bit of shuteye tonight. Still the prince was only human and needed to unwind from time to time. Tonight might well be the last chance he would get for such entertainment, depending on how accurate Dino's intelligence was. No, it was not a question of accuracy when it came to Dino's information. It was always a matter of whether they stressed the severity of the situation sufficiently.

"You know, I helped raise Coctura after her old man was called to serve in the territorials," Navyth said as he stood alongside Noctis, rod in hand. "Taught her how to gut a fish when she was just seven. Girl knew to respect a knife even back then, and she's remained careful ever since."

"It definitely shows," Noctis said. "The way she pays attention to the details of a dish, I don't think I've ever had a bad meal at her restaurant."

"Glad to hear it," Navyth said with a smile, but his face quickly adopted a more solemn air. "Still, it's been many long years since then. Since she was just a wee little thing trudging after me with her net. Before I knew it, she was reeling things in with a rod of her own. Now? Now she's behind a stove turning my catches into wonders on a plate. Where did the time go?"

To that Noctis offered no answer. There likely was none, seeing as the question sounded rather rhetorical.

"It's been harder than I expected, realizing that she had grown up into her own woman," Navyth continued. "But that's what us old folks need to realize, that kids do grow up. And need to be given room to make their own life. That's exactly what Coctura did, made her own life, here in Galdin." He looked over at Noctis. "And I couldn't be more proud of how far she's come."

Noctis said nothing for a few moments as he simply stared out into the darkened ocean.

"We don't get where we are by ourselves," he finally began. "We get there because the first steps we take, we're following a path someone else has already tread for us. Sometimes our steps end with that path, and sometimes we're able to make new paths of our own." He met Navyth's gaze. "But in either case, we only get as far as we do because of those that are there for us."

The older man returned Noctis' smile, appreciation suffusing his own. He placed a hand on the youth's shoulder, a motion that caused Ignis to twitch ever so slightly. The latter did not intervene however.

"You're already on your way to being a fine man, Your Highness," Navyth said, apparently finally deciding to dispense with the pretensions. "You'll make a great king someday as well."

Noctis flashed a wide grin, drawing in his still unbitten line and held up his rod.

"Of fishing."

Navyth burst out laughing and was quickly joined by Noctis. The levity might have been wholly inappropriate with someone else, but for the senior fishing enthusiast it simply further reinforced his good impression of the young prince. Would that this moment could last longer however. Its end came as a boom sounded in the distance.

Looking over, Noctis frowned. He squinted, trying to focus what little light was shone this night to make out the source of the noise. That search became marginally less urgent however as a much louder boom sounded, accompanied by flames and thunder as the restaurant and hotel at the end of the pier erupted in a blossom of fire. The shockwave from the blast was enough to buffet Noctis and the others even at this distance. Reaching out, Noctis caught hold of Navyth as the man was nearly sent tumbling into the water.

"I gotcha!" Noctis shouted.

Those words might never have even reached Navyth over the roar of the explosion. Even if they had, the man's attention was frantically focused elsewhere.

"Coctura!"

Somehow Navyth's desperate cry carried over the flaming crescendo and despite his unsteadiness the man was already preparing to make for the burning wreckage offshore.

"Navyth, wait!" Noctis shouted. "It's too dangerous!"

"Damn it Noct, let go of me! Coctura!"

The man's emotions were overriding his senses, but he could hardly be blamed. Not when his own flesh and blood might be burning away amongst those flames.

"Highness! We must fall back!" Ignis shouted.

"Not without the others!" Noctis said.

The bespectacled man grabbed hold of both Noctis and Navyth and began dragging them away.

"With or without them, _you_ must survive!" he yelled. "They have their duty, _you_ have yours!"

Another boom sounded and moments later the echo of its impact washed over them, along with a dusty gust. The force of the shockwave was enough to send them tumbling back and Noctis struggled to get back up despite the uneven footing of the sand.

"Noct!" another youthful voice called.

Looking over, Noctis felt a wave of relief wash over him as he caught sight of not just Prompto, but also Gladiolus. In fact, there were several more figures waving frantically at them as well.

"Navyth!" Noctis called. "Coctura's safe!"

At those words, the older man turned about and gasped at the sight of his niece.

"Coctura!"

He wasted no time making a dash for her, and it was all Noctis and Ignis could do to keep pace as the three hurried to join up with the others.

"Damn I'm glad you guys are okay," Noctis asked in between deep breaths.

"You were not at the hotel?" Ignis queried.

"We were doing some work on the Regalia," Prompto explained. "Just pure luck we hadn't turned in yet."

"And Coctura?" Noctis said, glancing over at the young woman as Navyth held her tight.

"She and Dino were out for a stroll," Gladiolus said, nodding at the other man standing by.

Despite the situation, Noctis could not help but blink. "Wait, Coctura and Dino? Really?"

"Save the gossiping for later," Ignis urged. "We should make haste. Is the Regalia still in working order?"

"Just finished topping off the tank," Prompto said. "We can book it anytime."

"We got space for more?" Noctis asked.

"Assuming the other cars are still there, yeah," Gladiolus said.

"That'll have to, oh crap! Incoming!"

Off in the distance, but closing quickly, several bulbous shapes could be seen drawing near.

"Gunships inbound!" Ignis shouted. "Everyone to the vehicles, now!"

There were a few additional survivors, not many, but it seemed Dino and Coctura were not alone in going for a stroll. That indulgence was all that had saved them from joining the flotsam and flickering embers that was what remained of the hotel, but it remained to be seen if it would save them from the approaching enemy.

"Bastards," Noctis growled, a flash of blue light igniting into a sword in his hand.

"Noct, what do you think you're doing?" Ignis spoke out.

"What does it look like?" Noctis snapped back, then broke into a run. "The imps want a fight, well they've got one!"

"Noct!" Gladiolus called, reaching out and just missing the other youth.

"Oh crap, he's gone ballistic," Prompto said, chasing after his friend.

"Get to the vehicles," Ignis said to the other survivors. "We'll hold them for as long as we can, so use that time and escape!"

And hurried after Gladiolus, bringing up the rear.

The gunships were almost on top of them now, the large gapping maw in their front opening up to show the dim outlines of soldiers. With regimented precision, those soldiers stepped forth and dropped down, landing neatly on the sandy beach with guns at the ready. That orderly formation was rent asunder however as a blue streak barreled into their ranks. With a roar, Noctis slammed into the lead soldier and sunk his blade deep into the enemy's armor. A satisfying crunch sounded, both upon puncturing and when he wrenched free the blade. Giving the soldier a kick, Noctis flipped back to get just enough space to launch himself again. At this short a range the imperial soldiers could not react quickly enough to take full advantage of their firearms, the few shots they managed going well wide of the mark.

Noctis himself wasted little time, weaving through the enemy to force them to draw steel if they wished to engage him. The imperials obliged, thrusting at Noctis with their fixed bayonets. With blades converging from all directions, the wisdom of Noctis' charge began looking far more suspect.

"Outta da way!"

With a heavy grunt, Gladiolus slammed through a pair of imperials, knocking them aside with his shield before spinning about and cleaving a third cleanly in half with his greatsword.

"Get ahold of yourself, Noct," the hulking man admonished his charge. "You can't just go jumping into fights like this!"

"You think we got a choice here!?" Noctis retorted as the two faced their opponents, back to back.

Gunfire sounded, but not from the soldiers surrounding them. Indeed several staggered from the hits from behind, before a glaive burst through one's chest.

"Gladio!" Ignis shouted, flashing a hand signal and running at the other youth at a dead sprint.

"Got it!"

Leaning down, Gladiolus called forth his shield once more and angled it towards Ignis. The bespectacled man jumped atop and was launched into the air with a mighty heave. The throw was enough to carry him all the way to the hovering gunship, into which Ignis flew in with a shining lance. The crunch of metal that sounded presaged the smoking machinery and wobble of the craft.

"C'mon Noct, we gotta get the hell outta here!" Prompto said in between in shots.

More gunfire sounded, these not from the blond youth as the remaining gunships opened up.

"Easier said than done!" Noctis growled. "We either take them here or they'll kill everyone!"

His form glowing once more, Noctis prepared to launch himself at one of the other gunships when a snap sounded.

"Gah!"

Staggering back, the prince collapsed onto a knee cradling his shoulder.

"Noct!" Gladiolus called out, kneeling by his liege to try and offer some cover with his shield.

"I'm alright!" Noctis insisted. "It just grazed me! Agh!"

A grazing hit though it might have been, a trickle of blood had still been drawn.

"Stay down!" Gladiolus ordered, grabbing Noctis and pulling him back away from the beach.

They made perhaps a handful of steps before more gunfire scythed their location, loud bangs sounding against the shield.

"Damn it, it's not gonna hold!" Gladiolus cried.

Just as the magical protection began to buckle, more gunfire erupted. The sound of these shots however carried a distinctive tone different to that of the Empire's guns, and looking over the two saw tracers rising up further back beyond the beach proper.

"That's the MG from one of the escort trucks," Gladiolus identified.

It was at that moment that Ignis and Prompto slid over to them, helping the two up.

"The others are covering for us, we need to go, now," Ignis said.

The sudden attack had indeed drawn the attention of the gunships, what with the machinegun fire landing squarely through the open door in front. Smoke quickly billowed out of the targeted airship, though this one managed to veer away instead of crashing outright. The third and last gunship wisely closed its front doors, before flying lower to get a better shot.

"They're going for the cars!" Prompto shouted.

Even from their position, they could see the hits slamming into the vehicles as the gunship opened up. Whatever was hit was enough however as the machinegun fell silent.

"We need to take that thing down, NOW!" Noctis screamed.

"Damn it, alright!" Gladiolus cried back. "But we do this together, _not_ with you running off half-cocked, got it!?"

Noctis' jaw tightened, but he gave a choppy nod.

"Alright, make the call, Ignis," Gladiolus said.

"With the door shut, we'll need to break through its armor the old-fashioned way," Ignis said. "I'll freeze the outer hull. Noct, you hit that point as hard as you can. Prompto, get to the machinegun and get it going if you can. If not, find anything that's heavier than your sidearms that might help us even the odds."

"Got it," the blond youth said, making a dash for the vehicles without further prompting.

"Gladio, if you would," Ignis said, backing away to get a running start.

Before kneeling down, Gladiolus placed a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "Remember. Keep your cool, and do it right."

"I know," Noctis snapped, then more softly. "I know."

Satisfied, Gladiolus gave a wave. "Ready when you are!"

Ignis broke into a run once more, and once more was launched into the air using his friend as a ramp. As he flew towards the gunship, the youth crushed the orb he held in his hand and threw it at the ship's side. A blast of chill air washed over him, but that was nothing compared to the instant ice now covering the metal hull.

"Now Noct!" Ignis shouted even as he plummeted back towards the beach.

The burst of blue light zipped right across the sky, followed by a loud crack as Noctis' blade pierced the embrittled metal. When he wrested his sword free, along came a large fragment of the hull, exposing the internals of the gunship. Just in time, the machinegun lit up again and rounds slammed into the ship's side. Within moments, the gunship was spiraling out of control and came to a crashing halt. Nothing emerged from the smoldering wreck.

Breathing deep, Noctis tried to recover as the surge of adrenaline faded. What took its place was a stinging pain on his shoulder, along with plenty of additional hurt all over as his body protested at how hard it was pushed. The others looked similarly winded, but at least they were alive. That was something.

"Noct!"

At hearing Prompto's call, the three straightened and hurried towards their friend. When they drew near to the vehicles, they immediately saw the cause of his urgency. There, laying amidst the vehicles, were not just the other Crownsguard that had risked their lives to divert the gunships. Seated against the truck was also Navyth, bloodied hand pressed against his side.

"Navyth!" Noctis cried, rushing to his side.

The man winced, managing a wry smile. "Your Highness. You're okay. That's, ugh, good."

"Easy there Navyth," Noctis said. "Prompto, potion, quick!"

"Right!"

The other youth quickly began digging through the truck's supplies, pulling out a bottle and handing it to Noctis.

"Here, drink this."

With labored coughs, Navyth obeyed. "Huh. Tastes like some sorta sports drink there. Ack."

"It's been fortified with magic," Noctis said. "It should help heal you right up."

"Really?" Navyth said. "Even something bad as this?"

Raising his hand slightly, more blood began pouring out as the pressure was taken off the wound. Noctis winced. Whether due to timing or sheer bad luck, Navyth's stomach had been chewed through something awful. He might yet be saved if they could get him to a hospital, but such wounds were beyond the miniscule magic imbued within the sports drinks. At seeing Noctis' expression, Navyth offered a comforting smile.

"That's alright, Your Highness. Can barely even feel it now. Reckon I got that potion of yours to thank."

"Yeah, maybe," Noctis said, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

"Coctura," Navyth said. "She and the others, they're hiding further back. By the lights, to keep away the daemons. Promise me you'll get them out safe."

Noctis gave a firm nod. "I promise."

"Good." Navyth took a deep breath. "Good." He offered another smile. "It was an honor meeting you, Your Highness. There's still plenty more fish out there for you to catch. Reel one in for me, would ya?"

"Of course," Noctis said, his own sight becoming slightly muddled. "I'll land the biggest, baddest fish out there, with the rod you gave me. And I'll do it for you."

No answer came from Navyth, and when Noctis wiped away his tears he saw why. The man's eyes were closed, his repose against the truck a final one. Noctis' jaw tightened even as he felt his heart burn.

"Damn it," the prince murmured.

"Uncle!" a cry sounded, not too far away. Then another, closer still. "Uncle!"

"Damn it."

End of Chapter 2

The Regalia is a manual, because of course it is.

I decided to put a little time into this story, just to switch things up a bit. A good chunk of the chapter was already done, I just needed to work out the ending and smooth out the prose a bit. The second half of this chapter actually went through two revisions outright, because I felt the first one didn't capture the nuance of what I wanted very well. War is supposed to be hell, and showing that in prose can be very difficult. I've also tweaked the summary so that it makes it clearer the angle the story is taking. Don't want people to assume this is some sort of by the books retelling of the XV story.

Dino's little role here is another example of how I'm reimagining the characters to fit into the roles I need them for. In the original he was a reporter that basically sent you out on fetch quests. Here, he's a reporter that also doubles as an intelligence agent. He might yet send you out on quests, but what you're likely to fetch is not precious stones but information. And similarly what he pays you in return will also be information.

The way the royal arms works is also slightly tweaked. The specific details will be explored in greater detail as the story progresses.

So those of you that have followed my other stories will know that for more recent ones I've been commissioning images to accompany them. One was done for this story as well, and can be seen at the following address. Replace the dots and slashes as appropriate of course.

deviantart dot com slash z98 slash art slash Stella-Nox-Fleuret-773279393


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ashes to Ashes

The singular dreadnaught approaching Insomnia was flanked by a lonely pair of gunships, the bare minimum that courtesy dictated seeing as the warship was supposed to be bearing the Emperor Iedolas, sovereign ruler of Niflheim, to the ceremony that would seal the peace between his nation and Lucis. There was a certain degree of risk involved in permitting the imperial warships entry into Insomnia's airspace, but the crown city's defenses should be well adequate to deal with any treachery the Empire might attempt at so late a turn. Then again, if the intelligence reports held any merit, Niflheim obviously thought otherwise seeing as they seemed poised to pour over the border at any moment.

The Empire would undoubtedly claim that such positioning was mere contingency in the case of _Lucian_ treachery, so rather than waste everyone's breath confronting Niflheim, Lucis instead elected to remain as vigilant as possible without appearing outright hostile. A delicate dance, this summit was. After all, there was still a chance a treaty would actually be signed the coming day. And a chance that the two signatories would remain bound by the terms long enough for the ink to actually dry.

An honor guard composed of Kingsglaive, handpicked and headed by Colonel Titus Drautos, the field commander of the Kingsglaive, stood ready to receive the imperial dignitaries. Regis himself was of course not present, the king did not come greet his guests personally, no matter how exalted they were. He would await them within the Citadel, as was only proper. As the dreadnaught touched down, taking up most of the landing strip at Insomnia's main airport, the guardsmen stiffened ever so slightly. The moment of truth was upon them.

The boarding ramp lowered and several figures descended with mechanical precision. The magitek troopers that formed the backbone of the imperial army were a sight to behold, their dark armor glistening under the field's lights. Behind them was a man wearing a loosely hanging overcoat and whose head was adorned with a dapper fedora. The smile he cast upon the awaiting soldiers was cheery, even whimsical. His tone was similarly tinted, even if there sounded like a hollow echo ringing within it.

"My, what a grand welcome this is," Ardyn Izunia said, "all these strapping young men and women lined up so neatly. The attention is enough to make one self-conscious."

More than one quizzical look crossed the ranks of the Lucian soldiers. A few even recognized the man now standing before them, the Kingsglaive having of course stayed abreast of the Empire's hierarchy. The confusion lay not with Ardyn's identity however, but in his presence. After all, the imperial chancellor was not the expected guest the dreadnaught was supposed to bear to Insomnia. That guest, the emperor, was however nowhere in sight.

"Chancellor Izunia," Titus nonetheless greeted as if nothing was awry. "Welcome to Insomnia. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"

"As much as such things can be," Ardyn replied, "but now that I am here I suppose it is time to get to work. I trust all has been arranged?"

The general nodded. "Gathered before us are the most loyal of His Majesty's glaives. I trust that will satisfy?"

The smirk on Ardyn's face turned into something far more unsettling. "It does indeed."

Suddenly, without warning, the hull of the dreadnaught was torn asunder. The screeching sound of metal filled the air, only to be quickly dwarfed by a mighty roar. The Kingsglaive reacted instinctively, raising weapons and dispersing to avoid being caught in clusters. The magitek soldiers serving as Ardyn's guards however remained impassive, while the chancellor and Titus were similarly unperturbed. Despite the clear treachery on Niflheim's part, the glaives still did not have clear threats to target. Ardyn's guards after all had yet to fire, and the only damage thus far was to the Empire's own dreadnaught. It was therefore quite understandable why the glaives hesitated. That however proved a fatal mistake as suddenly a bright lance of light sliced through the hull and swept through the ranks of Kingsglaive. Those so struck did not even have time to scream, burnt to ash as quickly as they were. The survivors, finally faced with a tangible threat, opened fire.

The magitek troopers went down without even responding, while Ardyn simply stood there as rounds perforated his form. Titus on the other hand disappeared, or rather his form was enveloped by a massive armored hulk. The rounds from the Kingsglaives' weapons simply bounced off harmlessly, while Titus himself closed in with frightful speed upon his former subordinates. There was no hesitation as he drove his greatsword through one glaive, then another. By his own hand, a captain of the Kingsglaive was butchering those whom he was supposed to be responsible for. At least those men and women actually saw their deaths coming. Those felled by the beams of crimson lances were still blind as to what they were facing. Not that it would have mattered, as the platoon of glaives were soon either dust or bloody corpses staining the airstrip.

"Well, that went rather well," Ardyn said, dusting off his hat and apparently none the worse for wear.

Looking over, Titus collapsed the helmet of his armor so that he might regard Ardyn unimpeded.

"And here I thought this entire plan of yours daft," he said snidely. "It seems the imperial chancellor does have a few tricks up his sleeve."

Ardyn chuckled dryly. "Oh I assure you, it's more than just a few. Well then, shall we get this party properly started?"

At those words the hull of the dreadnaught finally gave way to reveal what had been inside. A massive, ebony construct that looked as if its carapace were made of skulls pulled free of the destroyed ship. In the now dimming light, the glow of its eyes and its chest cast an ominous glare. With a might roar, the Diamond Weapon declared its presence to all of Insomnia.

"That's let the cat out of the bag," Ardyn said flippantly. "Think old Regis has any idea what's headed his way?"

"It matters not whether the king knows what fate awaits him," Titus sneered. "He dies this night."

"Someone's certainly eager," Ardyn said. "I suppose you'd actually be disappointed if your fellow traitors manage to plant the knife before you get to him?"

"I am no traitor," Titus snapped. "It was the king that betrayed me, betrayed all of his glaives. He abandoned our homes to the mercy of the Empire and the daemons, holing up in his precious crown city all safe and cozy. What I do now is no more than the dispensing of long overdue justice."

"Whatever floats your boat," Ardyn said with a shrug. "Best we make for the Citadel, then, lest the late fee grows too large for even you to afford."

From the broken hull, more forms emerged. Countless magitek troopers, held back until the Kingsglaive were dealt with, formed up into neat ranks. Diamond Weapon itself was already advancing deeper into the city, burning and razing everything in its path. Insomnia's defenders might yet be able to bring the creature down, assuming they could concentrate without further surprises being sprung on them. Surprises like the imperial fleet now racing towards the city, and the additional daemon constructs that they ferried. Ardyn let a self-satisfied smirk cross his face. The night was still young, and he was here to play.

"Ahh, home sweet home at last."

* * *

The Citadel was possessed of thick, sturdy walls, one consequence of which noise from the outside needed to be spectacularly loud in order to penetrate into its halls. The distant explosions at the airport were not quite that big, but even if they were they would have been drowned out by the alarms now blaring. Regis came to a halt, his entourage doing likewise.

"Report," he ordered.

Instead of responding, weapons manifested in the hands of several of the glaives. The next moment, they lunged for their liege. Despite his aged and weary body, Regis' reflexes had not dulled and the king drew his own sword to deflect. The first blow was knocked aside, the next Regis managing to block and deftly parry.

"GAH!"

The third however drew blood, grazing his side with a shallow cut. It would have been deeper still, but one of the other glaives, one whom had been taken aback by the treachery of his fellows, had managed to knock aside the assailant. In the fleeting moment, Regis could make out which whom amongst his glaives had turned traitor, and whom yet remained loyal. The odds were regrettably not in his favor. That did not mean Regis intended to go down without a fight however, and these traitorous glaives would do well to not underestimate their liege.

A wet thunk sounded, along with a pained gurgle, as a spear impaled one of the traitor glaives. The weapon disappeared, only to reappear alongside several others, all of which looked to be dancing about the king, making approaching him all the more perilous. That did not stop some of the traitors from trying, even at the cost of their lives. One glaive tried to rely on sheer momentum and speed to carry him through the whirlwind, only to be neatly decapitated by a falling axe. Another was more clever, actually paying attention to her surroundings to avoid being suddenly impaled or dismembered. Finally, seeing an opening, she slipped through to skewer Regis. The king parried the thrust, and a trio of blades immediately fell upon the glaive. The warning was clear enough, anything short of a mortal blow would simply see one delivered unto you.

Even so, the effort required of Regis was clearly taking its toll. The king grunted as he weathered attacks from all directions, the surviving glaives all of traitorous ilk. They were warier now, not rushing in like before. Instead they probed and feinted, allowing the fight to draw out to wear Regis down. That did not take long at all as the king's movements grew sluggish. Here, a glaive was able to attempt a thrust and yet withdraw without limb chopped off. There, another actually nicked the king, a shallow cut be one that still bled. Death by a thousand cuts was still death, and his glaives were closing in. And then, a boom sounded.

The glaive about to run Regis through jerked aside, his eyes wide in shock. All of the combatants reflexively looked towards the source of the sound, to be met with the sight of over a dozen Crownsguard charging forth.

"Your Majesty!"

More gunfire erupted, the Crownsguard more reliant on firearms than their Kingsglaive seniors. In this instance however that proved to be a considerable boon, as the intensity of their barrage forced back the traitor glaives. The magical shields that wreathed their bodies could withstand bullets, for a short while, so only the most drained of the glaives went down from the barrage. The survivors however now found themselves on the other side of the numbers game, and though many of the Crownsguard were less adept at manipulating the royal magic that was imparted upon them, others stayed amongst their ranks in preparation for when the crown would sit atop a new head.

One such veteran had now closed upon the traitor glaives, letting her rifle swing to the side while a spear manifested in her hand. The glaive she set upon managed a single frantic step backward before tip touched flesh, with the latter giving way. Carrying through, Captain Monica Elshett skewered the traitor before swinging her rifle back up and perforating another. A third glaive tried to come at the woman from behind, but his approach had not gone unnoticed. Monica twirled about, using the fixed bayonet to parry and then launch a thrust of her own. The single burst afterward was more than enough to put down the traitor.

The other glaives also fell, though not with getting some of their own back. Traitors though they might be, they had represented the elite of Lucis' armed forces. But the Crownsguard, even if they stood after in the order of precedence, were of similar caliber. How could they not be, when they were charged with protecting the king's most beloved treasure, his son.

"Your Majesty," Monica reached out to support Regis.

"Captain," Regis greeted with a relieved sigh. "Your timing was impeccable."

"What happened, Your Majesty?" Monica asked as she lent a shoulder for Regis to lean upon.

"I do not fully understand myself," Regis admitted. "What I do know however is that the city is under attack, and my own glaives tried to strike me down. Were it not for your timely intervention, they would have succeeded."

"But, how could they do this?" the woman gasped.

"I know not, but such answers can wait," Regis said. "For now we must secure the Citadel itself. Take me to the command center."

Monica grimaced but gave a curt nod. "At once, Your Majesty."

* * *

"Gah!"

The thunk of metal through flesh sounded as a spear punctured the glaive's chest. The wound was fatal, but death was forestalled long enough for the man to level his pistol at his assailant. There was no hesitation as the trigger was pulled, the man's motions as much instinct as conscious initiative. The attacker's head jerked back as the bullet found its mark. Two more corpses joined the others strewn about the corridors of the Citadel, all wearing the colors of the Kingsglaive.

"Report!" Cor shouted.

"We've lost control of the internal security systems," the glaive responded. "The traitors are overriding all of the lockouts, including the vault." He slammed the console in frustration. "They've also cut off communications with the rest of the garrison, we can't even call for help!"

Cor looked out the window, at the orange glow suffusing the cityscape. Even if they could make the call, he could not be certain there was anyone that could answer. The attack on Insomnia had taken on a form unlike anything they could have imagined, the imperial dreadnaught supposedly ferrying Emperor Iedolas actually carrying some heretofore unknown daemonic creature. It had burned through the airport and the surrounding district with contemptuous ease, and the battalion of magitek infantry following in the creature's wake struck with swift precision. Their targets had been the amplifiers that helped maintain the barrier around the city, obviously to clear the path for the dreadnaughts even now bombarding Insomnia. If those shots made it through the shield, there was no telling what carnage they would wreak.

"Cor!"

Turning about, the Kingsglaive commander blanched at the sight approaching him.

"Your Majesty!"

Regis was leaning heavily upon Monica as he entered, the king's raiment colored with blood.

"Worry not," the king said. "Only _some_ of it is mine."

"That is far from reassuring, Your Majesty," Cor said as he examined his liege.

The cut was shallow, thankfully, and already sealed thanks to Regis' magic.

"What happened, Your Majesty?"

"My own glaives," Regis said grimly. "Several attending to me suddenly drew their arms and tried to run me through. Had not a contingent of the Crownsguard happened upon us, they might have succeeded."

Cor's face twisted in despair even as he gave an approving nod to Monica. "To think, that the rot would have run so deep. Other traitors have compromised the Citadel's defenses."

Regis immediately understood. "The crystal. They must be seeking to hand it over to the Empire." His fist tightened. "We must not allow that to happen."

"The traitors have thoroughly entrenched themselves at key positions throughout the Citadel," Cor said. "The only way to the vault is through them."

"Then through them we must go," Regis said, with just a hint of regret. "The rot seems not have spread to the Crownsguard. How many can we rally to our side?"

"Clarus left to do just that," Cor answered. "With our communications cut however, I know not whether he has succeeded."

Outside a crimson fireball blossomed, adding yet another glow to the backdrop of night.

"The barrier," Regis whispered. "They've broken through."

Cor's face tightened again. "The city, its defenses cannot hold against the firepower the Empire is bringing to bear." He looked at his liege gravely. "We need help. _Their_ help."

Regis' grimace deepened. That there was the rub, _their_ help. To call upon the kings of yore to do battle, to bring to life their statues that lined the Old Wall. Such was meant to be Insomnia's final line of defense when all else had failed. Only the one bearing the Ring of the Lucii could animate them, the ring that Regis even now bore on his hand. But the strain of doing so, it would kill any lesser man. And while none could ever accuse Regis of such failing, he was far, far from the prime of his vigor.

"If I call upon them," Regis said, "I will not be able to maintain the New Wall. The barrier will be down in its entirety, and the rest of the city exposed."

"And yet what choice do we have, Your Majesty?" Cor said softly. "The Empire is already within the city. If we do not stop these new weapons of theirs, they will as surely tear down the barrier on their own."

"Yes," Regis said grimly. "Yes, they will. Then let it be so, that the kings of yore will hear my plea."

The silvery ring upon Regis' hand began to dimly glow, its light soon quickening in intensity. Soon none could look upon it without being blinded, and from atop the Citadel a beacon was ignited.

* * *

"Report."

"Two of the amplifiers are down, the shield has weakened substantially."

Safay nodded in mild satisfaction. The marshal was aboard one of the dreadnaughts waiting beyond Insomnia's walls, several of which were already firing upon the city to test its shields. The forces already inside the city were far from substantial in number, but the amount of firepower at their disposal should have been adequate for the assigned task. Still, the fact that they were relying upon traitors and an unpredictable wildcard to gain the necessary advantage would never sit well with the marshal.

The Empire had committed a total of thirteen dreadnaughts to this operation, a rather substantial portion of their combat ready fleet. Three were already downed, one as part of the poly to insert Ardyn and the Diamond Weapon into the city. Two others had been felled by Insomnia's gun batteries before they were neutralized. Once the shield was down however the city would be exposed to bombardment, which should be enough of a threat to induce a surrender. And right on cue, the shield flared once more its blow glow disappeared. The shells already fired sped through the air, blossoming into fireballs as they impacted upon the urban environment.

"Move in the fleet," Safay ordered, "and deploy the-"

Before the marshal could finish his sentence, a brilliant light erupted from the center of the city. The intensity was of such magnitude that even shielding his eyes, Safay could see light leak through his fingers and closed eyelids.

"Report!" he shouted once the light receded, enough to at least open his eyes once more.

"Massive energy spike coming from the city," came the response. "The epicenter looks to be the Citadel!"

Safay frowned. "What are you playing at, King Regis."

The answer was not long in coming, as suddenly one of the descending dreadnaughts saw its bow shattered.

"By the Gods!"

Whom had so exclaimed Safay did not know, the marshal himself too stunned by the sight before him. Upon the destroyed bow of the warship, a giant stone statue was wedged deep within the ruined superstructure. Pulling itself free, it proceeded to slam down a similarly sized mace, crushing the armor and caving in the interior. Then, in a feat just as impossible, it leapt into the air before plummeting down, smashing right through the spine of the dreadnaught. The warship snapped like a twig under the weight, its broken halves raining down upon the city below.

"Sir!"

A pair of massive bolts shot past Safay's flagship, slamming into a warship on its port. The aim was true, blowing out two of the dreadnaught's engines and causing the ship to quickly lose altitude. As it tried to make a controlled descent, yet another bolt sliced through the air and pierced the window of the bridge, now exposed due to its dipping form. All semblance of control was lost as the ship tilted sideways and dropped like a stone.

Safay ground his teeth at the sight. With two dreadnaughts down, that was two battalions of magitek troopers lost. Not that he particularly cared for the mechanical constructs, but every ship that failed to disgorge their cargo meant that many fewer troopers to take the city.

"Priority target for the Diamond Weapons," Safay said. "Destroy those, whatever they are."

Statues though they appeared to be, it was obvious they were something else entirely. While there were rumors aplenty about Insomnia possessing some sort of arcane line of defense, Safay had presumed them to be more myth than fact. Even so, the marshal had presumed the new daemonic weapons at his disposal would be sufficient contingency.

The gaping maw of one of the Weapons opened, red energy coalescing within. The blast that erupted slammed into a statue and Safay was gratified to see a shoulder and arm blasted into rubble. Satisfaction quickly turned into astonishment however as the statue did not stop its charge, hurling its axe through the air. It flew true, cleaving into the Diamond Weapon and actually causing the construct to scream in pain. And then, in a blue flash, the statue itself was upon the Weapon, adding its weight to dig the blade deeper. When it wrenched its weapon free, so too did the Weapon's own shoulder come apart. Ichor dripped from the gapping wound, and more began to flow as the statue slammed its axe down upon the daemon's head. So grievously wounded, the Diamond Weapon teetered and came crashing onto the ground.

"They're powered by the crystal," Safay said as realization struck him. "Deploy the crystal jammer!"

"But sir, at this range we'll only cover part of the city!"

"So long as we can neutralize the statues, it'll be enough," the marshal snapped. "Now do it!"

The flagship accelerated its descent, and once it was almost scraping the roofs of the building below opened up its bays. One good thing about the magitek troopers was they were fairly robust, so the drop down did them little harm. The large piece of machinery they were dropped to guard required a bit more care in handling, but in expectation of its use in combat the Empire's engineers had rigged up some armor and lines to allow its quick deployment.

When the machine touched the ground, the box within which it was enclosed fell open and the dish at the center unfolded. Pulsating waves of energy began flooding the area, spreading until they covered a substantial portion of the city. Not all of it, but enough. Another dreadnaught suddenly shuddered as a curved blade sliced through its hull. Or perhaps not.

"Why isn't it working!?" Safay grabbed hold of an engineer and demanded.

"We-we've only ever tested the jammer on captured Kingsglaive or Crownsguard!" the man said frantically. "We've never had a chance to test it on the Lucian king himself! These statues, if they draw power from the crystal directly like the king, the jammer might not affect them!"

With a disgusted sneer Safay shoved the man aside.

"All dreadnaughts, deploy troops immediately! We're approach the Citadel from the ground. Gunships are to keep those statues off of our ships!"

The surviving dreadnaughts obeyed and soon thousands of magitek troopers rained down upon Insomnia's streets. As they marched towards the Citadel, the fires engulfing the city continued to spread. How many more would be consumed by the flames, only the Gods knew.

* * *

From his vantage point, Ardyn smiled as the night sky was rendered as unto day by the light suffusing the city. Black ash seemed to waft off his body as he stood in the light and a burning sensation tickled his skin. The pain was easily bearable however, and a minor inconvenience to the boon he was about to receive.

"The Old Wall," Titus growled. "To think they'd go so far as to activate it."

"And why not?" Ardyn responded lightly. "Their city has been set aflame and the Citadel itself besieged from within. If this is not the time to call upon the kings of yore, then when would they ever?"

The traitor glaive gave a dissatisfied grunt but did not argue the point.

"This will make receiving reinforcements more difficult," he said instead.

"I suppose so," Ardyn said. "Though that just makes it all the more vital we complete the tasks set us."

That earned Ardyn another wary glance from Titus. Since witnessing more of the chancellor's powers, the treacherous glaive had adopted a far more suspicious demeanor towards the former. The doubts that were initially elicited when it became known that the imperial chancellor himself would be spearheading the beachhead of the imperial invasion was turning into something far graver. After all, who could have imagined a mere politician possessing the sort of powers Ardyn had displayed this night. Powers that seemed outright daemonic. Then again, much of the Empire's military prowess came from their ability to harness the power of daemons. For all Titus knew, Ardyn could merely be another product of their research. Or perhaps something else entirely.

Suddenly, without warning, a colossal four-pointed star hurtled through the air and slammed into the Diamond Weapon. The daemonic construct roared in pain as its carapace was punctured, ichor splattering out from the wound. Another roar sounded as a lithe figure, if one could use such a word to describe the giant that appeared, rammed into the shuriken and pushed it clear through the creature's back. The cleaved arm fell with a loud thud as a black mist evaporated from the exposed flesh. Turning about, Diamond Weapon roared again, this time a challenge against its assailant.

"Gods above!" Titus shouted. "That thing dismembered the daemon as if it were nothing!"

"They certainly live up to their reputation, these kings of yore," Ardyn remarked nonchalantly. "I wonder though, can even they stand up against the power of the Starscourge?"

"The Starscourge?" Titus was not so shaken as to miss Ardyn's rambling. "What do you mean by that?"

"Pay it no mind," Ardyn said with a shrug. "You had best hurry along to the Citadel, before the way is cut off by more of these guardians."

Titus frowned. "And what of you?"

"I think it's time for a family reunion," Ardyn said, plucking his sword out from the unfortunate he had buried it in.

Before Titus could press him further, Ardyn disappeared in a flash of reddish light. A light so oddly reminiscent of the magic wielded by the Lucian king and his supplicants, yet so very different at the same time. As Kingsglaive, Titus knew far more Lucian secrets of state than the average royal subject, but the foundation of the royal bloodline's magic was still something denied him. In those moments when his resentment bubbled over, the former glaive believed wholeheartedly it was because he was not one of the king's favored, like the line of Amicitia, despite having sacrificed so much in service to the crown. All Titus could claim to know about the magic that he himself wielded, by the benighted blessing of his king, was that it was supposedly originally a gift from the gods, which allowed the Caelum family to draw power from the crystal in their charge. This crystal was not the only one that existed on Eos however, each of the other great nations possessed one. Perhaps Ardyn was of a similarly blessed line from the Empire, one with some common lineage with the Caelums.

Off in the distance, had Ardyn been aware of Titus' musings, the man might have found it darkly hilarious. Dead wrong on all the points that mattered of course, but still good for a laugh. All of the statues that lined the Old Wall had separated from their stony abodes and were carving their way through the imperial forces besieging the city. One statue threw its colossal sword skyward, impaling a dreadnaught, before disappearing in a blue flash only to reappear upon the already faltering warship. The sudden added weight caused the ship to careen downward even more quickly, but still not quickly enough for the statue. Wrenching its sword free, the construct managed to tear asunder the dreadnaught entirely, leaving two burning hulks plummeting to the ground.

With such destructive methods, the kings of yore were arguably causing a great deal of damage to Insomnia themselves. Still, they were carving a bloody swath through the Empire's troops. Or at least they were turning a lot of ships and troopers into scrap. Indeed the losses Niflheim had suffered thus far already eclipsed that of the past year of skirmishes before the ceasefire was declared. That might have some long-term ramifications, especially if the Empire could not muster the resources to quickly replace these losses. That was the future however. Right now, the Empire still had enough forces locally to take the city. Assuming something could be done about the kings of yore, which was where Ardyn entered the picture, along with his little friend.

"Now, where are you, brother?" the chancellor wondered aloud.

In the distance came a crashing sound, and from amidst the dust and debris rose a tall, armored figure of regal bearing. With the majestic, flowing horns spreading forth from its helm, the statue cut an imposing stride. To Ardyn's eyes however, there was no grandeur to behold, only the visage of a murder, liar, and thief. Time to dispense some long overdue divine justice.

"Yoohoo, over here," Ardyn began with his usual jovial tone, before a shadowy timbor reverberated through his last word, "Brother."

As if responding to the word, the Founder King's statue shifted and gazed in Ardyn's direction. Rearing back, it hurled its massive sword in the chancellor's direction before disappearing in a blue flash. Then, another flash erupted as the statue reemerged, its weight crashing down upon Ardyn's position.

"Oopsy-daisy," Ardyn said, hopping aside. "A fine reunion this is turning into." A smirk creased his expression. "But that's just fine with me, Somnus."

The figure rose, casting a shallow shadow over Ardyn from the flickering embers that burned around them.

"Brother," a loud voice sounded.

Ardyn's face light up in an almost jovial manner. "Somnus! It's been so long, little brother!" His head tilted upward to get a better look. "I see you've grown a bit in the two thousand years since we last met." The man's expression darkened into a sneer. "And you even went to the trouble of erasing me from the histories. That ashamed of wearing a stolen crown?"

"You were tainted," Somnus responded, raising his sword once more. "Unfit to sit the throne."

The statue thrust its sword downward, trying to smear Ardyn into a bloody pulp. A shame the chancellor did not possess any blood to spill.

"Please, Brother," Somnus actually pled. "Return to the darkness whence you came."

Ardyn chuckled, dodging another swing by the massive construct. "Now? But I'm having so much fun! To think I'd get the pleasure of killing you myself!"

A thud sounded and Ardyn was sent flying back as Somnus managed to strike him with the flat of the blade. The chancellor slammed through a pile of rubble, kicking up a pillar of dust as the concrete gave way under the impact. Despite his transformation, Ardyn's physical manifestation was still that of a man while Somnus was now a giant, stony statue. Such discrepancies probably made being bounced around inevitable.

"Oof, I'll be feeling that in the morning," Ardyn said as he dragged himself out. "Well, if you want to play hardball, I'm more than happy to oblige." With a flourish, Ardyn raised his hand. "Now, let the fireworks begin!" And snapped his finger.

Despite being made of stone, Somnus actually seemed to tense up as if in preparation for whatever Ardyn intended. After a moment passed wherein the only sound was of distant gunshots and the smoldering of closer embers, both beings looked about quizzically.

"Huh? Oh come now," Ardyn said in befuddlement.

The confusion did not last long however as another sound was soon heard, and felt. A block or so away, heavy footsteps fell upon the paved road as another giant stepped forth. Looking back over, Ardyn regarded the horned creature with weary resignation.

"Oh, cursed be the wavering whims of the gods."

Somnus' reaction was nowhere as subdued however.

"Brother, what have you done!?"

Indeed the shock the Founder King felt saw his statute rooted to the ground. Before him, bearing a mighty broadsword wreathed in flame, with horns flowing from atop its head, stood not a man or a mortal, but a god. The Infernian however was far from his noble, brilliant visage. Instead what was visible of his skin was a pasty ash, while darkened, necrotized flesh scarred much of the rest. A god, this was. What he was now, was an abomination.

A wide smirk crept across Ardyn's face. "Not even the gods are beyond my retribution. Let us see how you fare, Somnus."

With a crazed roar, Ifrit's lumbering form broke into a wide stride, then a run, and finally an all-out charge as he swing his flaming broadsword at Somnus. The statue actually towered above the fallen god, but the Infernian seemed considerably less inconvenienced by the differential than Ardyn. When their blades met, it was Somnus that found himself sliding back from the force of the blow, and indeed continued to be forced back as their swords ground together.

A red mist suddenly dashed between Ifrit's legs before zipping upward, clocking Somnus under the chin and sending the statue rearing back and causing its sword to slip. Left exposed, Ifrit's blade came crashing down but Somnus vanished, leaving a blue flash for the Infernian's sword to slice through. When the statue reappeared, embers flickered across its stony chest piece along a shallow groove. Somnus' retreat had apparently not been enough to completely save him. Stepping forward with his own sword slung across his shoulder, Ardyn chuckled.

"What's wrong, 'dear brother,' or is your fancy toy not living up to all the gold sunk into it?" Ardyn pointed his sword at the statue. "Perhaps you'd like to come out and face me directly, or are you too much the coward?"

Somnus hunched over, preparing himself for another charge.

"I was right to have sealed you away."

The statue erupted in a flash, its blade slamming into the Infernian and bursting through the creature's back.

"You truly are a monster, Brother!"

"Don't be facetious," Ardyn sneered, dashing up along Somnus' back before slamming his own blade down its right shoulder. "The only monster here is you!"

The crimson blade glowed as it cleaved through the stone, carving a long gash as Ardyn slid down the statue. More rock crumbled and cracked, causing Somnus' grip on his sword to weaken. When the Infernian grabbed hold of the statue's hand, it was with little effort that he snapped it off and kicked Somnus away.

"This is preposterous," Somnus exclaimed. "How could one so impure possess such power!?"

Ardyn gave a wry cackle. "Oh dear brother, you have not yet seen true power."

As Somnus struggled to remain standing, Ifrit let out another roar and charged again. The Founder King parried the swing, landing a solid kick against the Infernian's chest. While the creature staggered, it was far from falling. Even the gashing wound previously inflicted upon it did little to slow Ifrit down. Indeed, every blow Somnus struck seemed to simply further enrage the beast. With fire enveloping his fist, Ifrit caught hold of Somnus' sword and shattered the blade. Again Somnus tried to warp away, but instead of a momentary reprieve the statue emerged only to impale itself upon the Infernian's blade.

"GAH!"

The very air ignited as Ifrit summoned forth its primordial flames and the heat began to outright melt the stone from which the Founder King's statue was carved from. Even so, Ardyn seemed remarkably uninconvenienced as he hopped over to land upon the statue's chest.

"Fret not, Brother," he said, "you will not be alone for long. Soon all of Lucis will be engulfed by these very flames, and the false kingdom you erected will be ash to the wind."

"Brother," Somnus said, his voice a mere whisper now but still clear as ringing bells to Ardyn's ears. "What I did to you was unforgivable, but I did it for the future of _our_ people-of _our_ kingdom."

Ardyn snorted. "So I was a small sacrifice for the greater good? How noble."

"Our line has done everything to protect our people," Somnus persisted, trying to rise despite the continued melting of his form, "just as the gods bade. I was merely fulfilling my calling."

"Oh? And here I thought I was the blessed one," Ardyn responded with a snide smirk. "Are you saying it was you all along, Brother?"

At that Somnus actually hesitated. "The gods did indeed bless you as their chosen; the people adored you as their savior. I was neither powerful nor popular, just envious, perhaps…"

Upon hearing those words, Ardyn's expression darkened until his face was of ashen complexion, veins of darkness peeking out from beneath.

"Perhaps!? Don't make me laugh!" Ardyn roared. Reaching forth, his hands sank into the now molten stone. "You stole everything from me! Ripped it from my arms!"

And as those hands withdrew, along with them came a glowing blue form, a form whose neck was gripped by Ardyn.

"Brother," Somnus gasped, the light of his soul causing Ardyn's skin to sear away. "I dare not ask your forgiveness, but I do ask your understanding."

"You shall see neither from me," Ardyn said acidly, "Brother."

And then, a scream sounded that swept through the entirety of Insomnia. The light from Somnus' form turned from a brilliant blue to a sickly red, before extinguishing outright into darkness. In place of that soul stood an armored figure, one whose shape matched perfectly the statue celebrating the Founder King. A statue that was now melted slag splashed across the streets.

Stepping back, Ardyn beheld the stooped over form and watched as the shadowy tendrils of the Starscourge seeped in through its cracks. Once they were all drawn in, the figure shuddered and rose. Ardyn leaned up on his toes.

"Still in there, Somnus?"

No answer came, at least none that could be heard by mortal ears. Ardyn however gave a wide smile.

"Good."

End of Chapter 3

The Kingsglaive movie plot, was convoluted. Thematically, the idea certainly was interesting. Logistically, there's a problem with having Lucis' guard-captain also be the supreme commander of the Empire's magitek infantry. Namely, the workload associated with the two positions is not something that can be easily handled by one person, if only because that person has to physically be in disparate locations to do the job. Also the entire thing with Lunafreya being in Lucis. Again, logistically and sequencing wise, it's all very messy. Hence why I jettisoned all that and am trying to present a more coherent timeline of events.

So, this chapter in some respects is a major spoiler for Episode: Ardyn. And also for the FFXV novel, _Dawn of the Future_ , that basically summarizes the unreleased DLCs. In a lot of ways I really like the story the novel told, and I really wish it was what made it into the game originally. There are still quite a few consistency issues, namely things only have consequences to the extent the scenario wants them to have, but the core idea actually feels more coherent than that of the original XV story. My own story will not follow Dawn, I have a different story I want to tell. But there will be a few story beats that I'll certainly borrow as appropriate.

The switching back and forth between different pronouns for Somnus and Ifrit is a consequence of the, ambiguity, of the two's respective statuses. One is the soul of a man and also a statue, the other a corrupted god. So, yeah.

One more chapter detailing the fall of Insomnia. This was originally all supposed to be one chapter, but then a few scenes dragged on long enough that I decided to break it up. That means I should hopefully get at least one more chapter out before I get distracted by other stories. Hopefully. Anyway, drop a review if you're enjoying this thus far or have questions.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dust to Dust

The crystal jammer deployed by the Empire was designed to have a range that could cover most of Insomnia's inner districts, a not inconsiderable area. To do so however it needed to be situated at effectively the center of the city. Due to the unexpected intervention of the kings of yore however, the imperial forces had been forced to deploy the jammer well short of that location. It was close enough however for the projected field to affect the Citadel, with some rather ironic effects.

The Lucian traitors trying to commit regicide were concentrated solely within the Kingsglaive, whom relied heavily upon their borrowed magic to be effective. When the field reached them, both loyalists and traitors were suddenly bereft of their primary arms. That was not to say they were completely unarmed, all glaives carried with them a basic combat knife and a sidearm as emergency fallbacks, but they were without a doubt considerably less effective than the projected weapons.

The Crownsguard on the other hand relied heavily upon conventional weapons, both firearms and blades. For many, this was to serve as foundational training for when they would learn to project arms using their liege's magic. Even those that were already capable of this feat but had not transferred to the Kingsglaive for whatever reason carried with them a full complement of conventional weapons. As a consequence, while the glaives were finding themselves crippled as an effective force, the Crownsguard, all of whom had remained loyal, were in no way similarly handicapped.

"Forward!" Clarus shouted.

The charge was presaged by a hail of gunfire as the guardsmen blasted through the defending traitors. The grenade that detonated moments before had already broken their ranks and what meager resistance that remained was mercilessly crushed. With a satisfying thunk, Clarus sank his own blade into one of the traitor glaives. His opponent twitched once, twice, before slumping over. Giving the corpse a kick, the Crownsguard commander shoved it off his sword and let it tumble back to join the other broken bodies staining the floor.

"Area secure," Monica said, rifle at the ready nonetheless as an overabundance of caution.

"Then onwards to the vault," Clarus said. "The traitors must not be allowed to override its lockouts."

Easier said than done, but considering the offending glaives were intimately familiar with the Citadel's security systems, they might yet achieve their goal. Clarus would be damned if they were going to have an easy time of it however.

"Clarus, status," Regis' voice sounded over the radio.

"We've overtaken the last strongpoint before the vault proper, Your Majesty," Clarus responded. "Whatever is cutting us off from your magic is most definitely also affecting the traitors."

"Small fortune there," Regis remarked. "I will be with you shortly."

"Your Majesty, you should wait until we've cleared out-"

"The Citadel is my castle, Clarus," Regis stated. "I will not sit idly by while my loyal retainers shed blood in its defense."

"As you say, Your Majesty," was the only answer Clarus could offer.

Not long thereafter, Regis appeared, walking with cane in hand, but under his own power once more. At his side and in hurried discussion with his sovereign was Cor.

"-imperial forces have already breached the inner perimeter," Cor said. "Estimates are the Nifs have deployed their magitek troopers in at least regiment strength, and that is not counting the dreadnaughts they have circling the city."

"Iedolas certainly spared little expense in mounting this attack," Regis remarked dryly, "though he seems not to have expected the Old Wall."

"Never before has Insomnia been so threatened as to require their summoning, Your Majesty," Cor pointed out.

Regis sighed. "Perhaps that too is a mark of my failure as sovereign."

"Your Majesty is too critical of yourself," Clarus said firmly. "You owe these traitors no apology, their loss of faith in you is theirs alone."

That was certainly one point of view, and not likely shared by the turncoat glaives. As more and more had been identified, the rationale for their betrayal had become evident. All were from outside of Insomnia, some even beyond Lucis' formal borders. They had been invited to the Crown City on account of their compatibility with Regis' magic, at a time when the Kingsglaive's ranks badly needed replenishment on account of the ongoing war with Niflheim. Some came because they were looking to start a new life after the loss of their home, while others did so on the promise of Lucis assisting those homes they still held dear.

Unfortunately the imperial war machine had proven too powerful and it was all the kingdom could do to keep some measure of control over its own provinces, much less send aid to even more far-flung lands. For many of the men and women that served Regis, that was a bitter pill to swallow. Bitter enough that despair or desperation had seen so many of them throw their lot in with Niflheim. Many, but not all. And not even all those from beyond the walls either, as signified by the presence of the burly man standing behind Regis.

"The general is right, sire," Nyx said. "It hurt, a lot, what's happened to our homelands. But Insomnia's been our home for many a years as well. To let this happen to our new home, these bastards might be deserving of some pity, but not mercy."

Nyx Ulric was also an émigré, hailing from the islands of Galahd northeast of Lucis. While not formally part of Lucis, they had been part of the kingdom's sphere of influence and looked to Lucis for protection. The long relationship between the two lands saw Galahd reject the Empire's overtures despite the withdrawing of Lucis' shield to just Insomnia's limits. The island had however paid for their defiance, with a major imperial raid devastating Galahd shortly before the ceasefire negotiations began. Indeed, Lucis' inability to defend its ally was seen by many as an impetus for the kingdom's effective capitulation. Too many lives were lost pointlessly to allow things like petty pride stand. Too many lives were being sacrificed now for petty vindictiveness.

Regis took a deep breath and nodded. "And they will not find any. But the consequences of their actions does not change." The king turned to face his loyal marshal. "Cor. I want you to leave the Citadel, gather what detachments of the Crownsguard that you can find, and flee Insomnia."

"Your Majesty!?" Cor exclaimed.

Regis held up a hand, forestalling any further protest.

"The city is lost, that much is clear. Lucis as a whole however need not share in our fate today. The kingdom will have need of what strength you are able to save. My _son_ will have need of that strength. So I ask of you, my dear friend." Regis removed the ring from his hand and held it out to Cor. "To go, and protect that which is most precious to me, beyond even my throne and my kingdom."

His expression torn, Cor nonetheless extended a hand and accepted the offered ring. Still, he did not immediately take his leave.

"I will earn your forgiveness, Your Majesty," he said, "for failing you so."

As commander of the Kingsglaive, Cor certainly held a degree of responsibility in so many of them turning traitor. These were his men and women whom had foresworn themselves and turned their blades upon not only their fellow glaives but also their sovereign lord. To have allowed such persons to enter into the service, to advance in that service, was the very definition of failure. But it was not one he bore alone.

Regis placed a hand on Cor's shoulder. "Whatever failure you think you endure, the greater part of it is mine and mine alone. You may have trained and led them, Cor, but I was the one that chose them. For having placed upon you such a burden, it is I whom owe an apology to you."

The marshal grimaced still, but he gave a simple nod in acceptance of the words and the forgiveness implicit within them. Stepping back, he executed a respectful bow before taking his leave. It was a struggle not to slow down and look back, but every second counted.

"Monica," Clarus said. "Go with him. The Crownsguard will have need of your level head."

The woman took a deep breath. "By your command, sir. Your Majesty."

And hurried after Cor. Plenty still remained in attendance to Regis, and yet somehow the king felt just a little more lonely. He glanced over at Clarus.

"Well old friend, shall we?"

No hint or suggestion was uttered for Clarus himself to depart. As the king's sworn shield, there was simply no way Clarus would have accepted even a direct order to abandon his liege, and his friend, at a time like this. Besides, the House of Amicitia was already doing its part in protecting that which Regis had called his greatest treasure.

"At your word, Your Majesty," Clarus responded.

"It is given," Regis declared.

* * *

"Hold them back!"

The Crown City Police Force was never intended to get into a standup fight against army regulars. Their job was to protect the general peace and security of Insomnia from criminals and the like. This duty was reflected within their complement of weapons, or rather the lack of heavier arms in their deployed arsenal. Today however, none of the men and women in the police force's ranks let that minor detail interfere with the execution of their duty, the defense of Insomnia's citizens. As the ranks of magitek troopers marched forward, the police officers used whatever weapons were available, including some taken from disabled enemy mechs, to hold the line while the citizenry evacuated. It was not a duty borne without cost however.

"Gah!"

The officer was dead before his body hit the ground as a burst of rifle fire perforated his body.

"Janis!"

His comrades had but mere moments to mourn his passing, as any longer and they risked joining their deceased friend. The fire that answered sprayed across the magitek ranks, punching holes here and there through the enemy's armor, but the mechanical constructs were more sturdily built than their merely human opponents and kept pressing onward.

"What the hell are these things made of!?"

"Stop bitching, keep shooting!"

One of the officers ducked out just long enough to toss a flaming bottle, retreating without even checking to see its effect. The flames that splashed over the enemy infantry might have made for a bright spectacle, but the magitek troopers seemed barely inconvenienced.

"Civilians evacuated, pull back to the next block," a voice crackled on the radio.

"Roger, squad 4 bugging-"

A loud bang sounded, cutting short the reply. When the officers looked up, a massive bipedal walker was closing on them with wide strides.

"What is that!?"

"Run!"

Mere human legs were never going to outpace the walking armor and it was upon them before the officers had made it more than a few steps. A scream sounded as the mech lurched forward, skewering one of the officers with its clawed arm. It was a scream abruptly cut off as the unfortunate man was ripped apart.

"Monster!"

"Keep moving!"

Despite their rage and horror, the surviving officers continued their frantic retreat, splitting up and hugging the buildings for at least some cover. With enemy troops closing in all directions however, they were simply running out of places to run.

"What?"

The large armored figure that appeared before the two officers gave off an eerie, inhuman sensation. If someone were to claim it was a larger magitek variant, they would have been easily believed, what with the sinister, ebony armor it wore. The officers never got the time to ponder any of these possibilities however, as the figure swung its crimson greatsword and cleaved right through them with nary any effort.

Stepping past the toppled corpses, Titus barely noticed the drips of blood that ran down his sword. Theirs were not the first, and certainly would not be the last so stain the blade. While Niflheim had achieved a certain degree of surprise in its attack, the activation of the stone guardians had stymied the Empire's troops long enough for the city's garrison to mobilize. What was supposed to be a decapitating lightning strike was turning into a slog of urban warfare, chewing through men and machines with brutal rapidity. The deaths were not limited solely to combatants either, what with the Empire's liberal usage of bombardment from their dreadnaughts, or at least those still flying, to flatten any opposition.

For Titus' part, the man's irritation at being delayed along his way to the citadel was only mildly vented by every Lucian defender he cut down. Still, they were making steady progress. The army regulars were effectively pinned and unable to come to the citadel's defense, while the police force dispersed throughout the city barely warranted being called opposition. They were felled so effortlessly that Titus felt almost uneasy about it. As if such easy blooding was dulling his senses, making him more less ready to face actual warriors like those of the Kingsglaive that still served their bastard of a liege.

Suppressing a growl, Titus pressed onward, moving ahead of the advancing magitek. If he waited for the Empire's troops to clear a path, Regis might yet live to see the coming dawn. That somehow felt more intolerable than all the other betrayals he had suffered at the king's hand, and one which Titus was determined to not let happen.

As the former glaive drew closer to the citadel, he encountered more organized and better equipped resistance. Elements of the army, actually able to stand against the magitek troopers, had dug in along the main approaches. Even with his new armor, Titus could not have hoped to simply barrel his way through. There was no need to either, seeing as his position within the Kingsglaive meant he knew quite a few backdoors and side passages that allowed one to bypass the citadel's perimeter. If he could link up with those glaives that had been won over to his cause, together they should be able to overcome the loyalist dogs and open the way for the Empire once the magitek companies were able to overrun the outer defenders. Assuming of course the delay he had already suffered had not given Regis enough time to rally the loyalists and put down the mutiny. Enough things had gone wrong this day after all.

Ducking into the subway, Titus was gratified to find it clear of any defenders or bystanders. He cared not if any of Insomnia's denizens were caught in the line of fire, they deserved no consideration after hiding all these years behind the barrier while the rest of the country suffered the Empire's predations, but having to cut through more worthless chattel would have wasted time and effort. With no one barring his path, Titus was able to emerge within one of the citadel's sublevels with due haste. Once inside, he tapped into the secret channel that had been prearranged for use by his compatriots.

"This is Glauca," Titus said, using a codename to further obfuscate things. "I have arrived. What is the situation?"

"Glauca?" came a response filled with the hiss of static. "Where the hell have you been!? We're getting cut to pieces in here!"

Titus grimaced. "Then we'd best not waste any further time, no? What is the situation?"

A momentary pause passed before a more useful answer came, the traitor glaive on the other end apparently deciding Titus had a point, whatever his irritation might be.

"Our magic's not working, and we're starting to run dry on ammo. We weren't able to take the main armory, there were a lot more Crownsguard on site than expected."

The crystal jammer, one supposedly attuned to Lucis' crystal. Had Titus realized the Empire would be forced to deploy it so early, he would have placed greater emphasis on his own forces gaining access to the armory. It annoyed Titus that he had committed such an oversight.

"The loyalists have also managed to retake the main security command center. They're locking out corridors to keep us divided so they can pick us off group by group. We've still got the main entrance to the vaults and we're trying to get it open, but at this rate they'll be able to storm us before we override the lockouts."

Titus took a single moment to consider the tactical picture.

"If the loyalists are dispersed trying to hunt all of you down, then they'll be spread thin," he said. "I will take the security command. Focus on overriding the vault lockouts."

"Understood."

The connection went dead and Titus began heading upward. Signs of battle were visible even before he reached the ground floor, countless glaives having fallen on both sides. Over a third of his former comrades had been in on the conspiracy, surprise helping offset their disadvantage in numbers. Unfortunately Titus had not been able to turn any of the Crownsguard, that organization's members deployed more often than not outside Insomnia in accompaniment of the crown prince. While a large contingent had returned to the citadel while Noctis prepared for his upcoming wedding, Titus had expected they would have similarly departed when the prince himself did so. Another unplanned for complication that could yet see the plot fail.

The sound of fighting soon reached Titus' ears and his pace quickened. There, a contingent of glaives were raining fire upon their former comrades. So intent on rooting out these betrayers, they noticed only too late the heavy footsteps that approached from behind.

"Wha-"

With a mighty bound, Titus closed in and slammed his greatsword through the glaive's chest. Screams and cries sounded from the other glaives, but even as they tried to face this new threat, but those bullets that found their mark simply bounced off of Titus' armor. The former glaive shoved the dead body aside and renewed his assault.

"AGHH!"

Titus barely felt his blade slow as he cleaved through the glaives. Perhaps if they could call upon the king's magic, they might have been able to withstand a blow or two. Perhaps they might have even been able to wear down his own armor. As it was, the slaughter was entirely one-sided and soon Titus stood amidst another cluster of broken bodies.

"This is Glauca," Titus broadcast on the short range. "Fall back to the vault and hold it. I will handle the king's men."

"Roger that," came the response from the group he had just saved.

As Titus ascended the steps, he felt as if his blood was quickening. Anticipation rose within him as he contemplated finally having a chance at Regis, the bastard king that abandoned his subjects to hide behind Insomnia's barrier. The world would have been better off had Lucis fallen alongside its ally Accordo, at least then there would have been no further fighting. No more deaths at the hands of callous rulers more interested in their personal glory than the needs of their subjects. Every glaive that Titus cut down now, the man felt his heart soar as if it was another cut upon Regis' own self. The failed king deserved at least this much for his betrayal. This much, and so much more.

As he had suspected, the effort to retake the vault had left the citadel's halls bare of defenders along the way to the command center. Titus was almost upon the room itself when he finally ran into opposition worthy of the name. Opposition that caused his blood to roil.

"Clarus."

The clean-cut man was at the head of a contingent of Kingsglaive instead of his Crownsguard. Not that it mattered to Titus one way or another who else he needed to cut down on his way to Regis. At seeing the heavily armored figure, the Lucian soldiers immediately leveled their weapons.

"Another of the Empire's tin soldiers?" Clarus said dismissively.

A sneer crossed Titus' face, but with his helmet up none of the men and women before him could bear witness to his contempt for them. That was a simple enough problem to solve however. With a click Titus' helmet partially retracked, and gasps sounded all about.

"Titus?" Clarus managed to hiss.

"So good to see you again, Captain-General," Titus greeted with the same tone Clarus had used mere moments ago, "for one last time."

Despite his shock, Clarus was already reacting. "AARRRRRRRRRRHHHHH!"

Titus had barely a moment to enjoy his reveal before his helmet snapped shut and he was forced to meet Clarus' blade.

"TRAITOR!"

Parrying the blow, Titus barreled forward, slamming his heavier form into Clarus. The Crownsguard commander backpaddled frantically, trying to maintain his footing.

"The only traitor here is that failed king of yours," Titus growled, his voice carrying an unpleasant echo from within the armor. "We of the Kingsglaive fought and killed in his name, only for him to abandon our lands and families. We were the ones betrayed, not he!"

Bringing his sword crashing down, Titus was able to knock Clarus onto his knees. His was unable to press the advantage however as the others glaives charged in.

"Titus, you bastard!"

A pair of blades slashed at the armored figure, scratching the metal surface but doing little actual harm.

"Nyx," Titus recognized his assailant. "Why do you still fight for Regis? Was not your own home razed by the Empire after Lucis abandoned it!?"

Nyx's jaw tightened, but he did not rise to Titus' taunts. He kept his focus on his opponent's blade, looking for any opening that would allow him to strike.

"So to spite your liege, you would sign on with the very Empire that stole your home away?" Clarus however was not prepared to let the insult go unanswered. "What a disappointing fool you've turned out to be, Titus."

"The Empire has the strength to make good the promise that Regis was too weak to keep," Titus responded. "In exchange for his head and the crystal, our homes go free. For that, none of you shall bar my way!"

Charging, Titus moved with shocking speed and slammed into another glaive. A sickening crunch sounded as the man was crushed against the wall. Stepping aside, Titus dodged a swing by Clarus and responded with a thrust of his own. Tilting his blade, Clarus was able to deflect the swing, but the distance was too close between the two men. Titus' leg shot out, nailing Clarus' shin with his armored boot. The Crownsguard commander cried out in pain as bone shattered, but before Titus could follow through and land the killing blow another cry cut through.

Leaping over the downed Clarus, Nyx hurtled into Titus and sent both himself and the traitor glaive tumbling back. Rolling quickly back onto his feet, he brought his kukri down but again hit only solid metal. With a frustrated roar, Titus rammed his helm against Nyx's chest and sent his opponent crashing back. This earned Titus no reprieve however as the other glaives launched attacks of their own. That they all failed to do more than scratch his armor seemed not to deter them at all, and given enough time they might actually wear him down despite the augmentation offered by his armor. Of course, they needed to live long enough to pull that off.

"How does it feel, to finally face someone with a just cause?" Titus taunted, blocking another strike by a glaive before reaching out and smashing his fist into the woman's chest. "Someone whom has no need of borrowed powers?" Taking advantage of his opponent's teetering posture, he swung the blade and was splayed by the blood squirting out from the severed neck. "Bereft of your hallowed magic, all of you will fall to my blade!"

Another glaive lunged at Titus, grazing his side. Sparks flew as metal met metal, but Titus responded more quickly, letting the glaive's attack carry him past and open his guard. Slamming his fist down, he caught the glaive in the back and drove the attacker into the ground. Then without missing a beat, Titus spun around, dodging another glaive's thrust. His adversary was nowhere as lucky, as the momentum of the missed strike carried him right into Titus' waiting greatsword. Though the other man was thoroughly skewered upon the blade, for a moment it did mean the weapon was engaged and unable to be brought to bear against anyone else.

"GAH!"

A sharp pain ran through Titus' side and one of his hands released the sword to swat at his assailant. Nyx however was already ducking away, his kukris slick with blood. Grunting, Titus turned to face his former protégé. The armor granted to him by the Empire was sturdy and strong, but it was not invincible. To allow him to actually move, there were a few soft spots that were not protected by a hard shell of metal. Striking at them was not easy, but could be done by one with a deft hand, fast reflexes, and sharp eyes.

"Do not think you are any closer to victory, just for drawing blood," Titus growled.

"Then I'll just have to draw some more," Nyx responded, kukris at the ready.

The two were some of the last combatants still standing, the other glaives dead around them and Clarus an effective invalid with his broken bones. Even had the Crownsguard commander been at his peak, Titus was still confident in his victory. With a roar, he charged at Nyx, relying on the augmented speed granted by the armor to let him close in before Nyx could respond. No fool, Nyx was prepared for the attack and was stepping back the moment Titus cried out. That saved him from being cleaved in half when the greatsword fell, but he would not win by constantly retreating. He still needed an opening to attack himself however. Fortunately, one was not long in coming.

A loud bang sounded and Titus felt a heavy impact slam into his back. It was not enough to bring him down, indeed the shot by itself did not even slow him. It did distract him however and the fraction of a moment that he hesitated was all Nyx needed. The glaive darted aside, kicking off the way to give his leap further momentum. Inside Titus' guard, he slammed the kukri through the softer mesh under the other man's arm. Titus tried to turn about, to bring his sword up to cleave through Nyx mid-leap. The angle was wrong however, and Nyx was able to use his second blade to deflect the swing. His own blade struck truer, sinking into Titus' flesh, eliciting another cry of pain.

Suddenly Nyx found himself staggering back, his head dazed as Titus slammed his armored helm against the former. His vision blurred and otherwise disoriented, there was no way for him to fend off Titus' next strike. This was the end then, his best and he still failed. Nyx wondered if that was how all the other turncoats had felt when their homes were ravaged.

A thundering boom clapped in Nyx's ears and the next moment Titus' charge came to a dead stop as the man was engulfed in lightning. Whatever cries Titus might have uttered were lost amidst the cacophony that accompanied the magical strike. When the spell faded, leaving Titus' armor smoldering from the heat, Nyx was finally able to clearly see the man responsible. Not that there was any doubt, seeing as whom else but King Regis was still capable of calling upon magic.

Despite the aching pain, despite even the slight numbing of his body, Titus could not help but smile. The king that he so wanted to taste his blade was here. Nothing so trifling as a bit of shock was going to stop him. Straightening, Titus gripped his sword.

"So good of you to show yourself, Your Majesty," he sneered. "Finally out of places to run and hide?"

"Had you any capacity for understanding that which I hold back," Regis responded, "your courage would have failed you long before you succumbed to betrayal."

Titus' expression stiffened, then with a furious roar he charged the king. Despite his weathered condition, Regis brought his sword up to meet the swing. He barely withstood the blow, legs visibly shaking from the effort. But as king, Regis would bend knee to no one. With his free hand, a ball of fire coalesced before erupting right in Titus' face. While the flames washed harmlessly off the armor, the traitor still staggered back from the force of the blast. When he raised his sword to attack anew, Titus was again stymied when Regis hurled his own blade at the armored figure. Swinging his sword to bat the flying weapon aside, instead a loud crack sounded as the two weapons met and Titus found Regis' hands gripping his sword. The amplified magic cruising through Regis' blade spiked, shattering Titus' greatsword in half.

Again Titus found his form bathed in a sea of fire. This time however he paid no need to the heat, instead lunging forward and smashing a fist into Regis' shoulder. The blow sent the king tumbling back, battered but still far from beaten. Tossing aside his broken weapon, Titus screamed again and began trying to pummel the king with his fists. The armor's systems were still operational, enhancing Titus' speed and strength to levels that Regis, despite his magic, was starting to be overwhelmed by. Those strikes of the blade that landed carved shallow gashes on the metal, but they failed to penetrate outright. The magical shield bolstering Regis' form on the other hand weakened with every blow of those armored fists. Forced on the defensive by the feral onslaught, Regis summoned a tower shield to try to weather Titus' blows. Even that however began to buckle as the metal warped and caved in.

Ready to launch the next strike, Titus suddenly cried out in pain as a pair of kukris slammed into his side. Nyx, having taken advantage of the traitor's fixation on the king, had snuck under Titus' guard to deliver the strike. This time the blades cut sure and deep, and when Titus backhanded Nyx away, the motion a kukri be wrenched free, rending more flesh in the process. The other, buried deep in Titus' side, cut at the man with every move he made.

Staggering, Titus' mind raced as he tried to figure his next action. The wound on his side was not mortal, not yet, but his chances of taking Regis' head was plummeting with every drop of his blood that was shed. He needed to end this, now. Lunging forward, another blow struck Titus' shoulder and the man could just barely make out Clarus leveling a pistol in his direction. The accursed Crownsguard commander might have been lamed, but he was still alive, still a nuisance. But that was all he was, just as that was all Nyx was. The only one that mattered was Regis. If he could just get to the king, just wrap his hands around the bastard's neck, he would win. He would win. Titus took another step forward, then another. His motions seemed to slow, as did that of the others. Off to the side, Titus could see Nyx preparing to launch another desperate foray. In front, sparks crackled in Regis' hands as the king cast another spell. Even further back, Clarus was frantically reloading his gun. And then, everything seemed to stop outright. For a moment, Titus wondered if time itself had frozen. But then why was his own vision expanding? And why did his vision pull back, to allow him to see his own form? His own form, with a massive blade slammed into his back right through his heart. Ah, that was why. He was already dead.

* * *

As Ardyn closed in on the sound of battle, the chancellor caught sight of Nyx in his final throes trying desperately to reach Regis. Tutting, Ardyn shook his head.

"And after all the time and effort invested in him, he couldn't deliver in the end," Ardyn remarked. "Ah well. Somnus, if you would."

The towering figure appeared in a flash of reddish light, striding forward in wide steps. While Regis and his retainers immediately noticed the advancing figure, Titus seemed so focused on his aim that he seemed entirely unaware of what approached from behind. Indeed the man did not even react when Somnus slammed his massive blade through Titus' heart. Whether he ever realized what happened became moot, as Titus slumped over dead.

"Well done Somnus," Ardyn said with a clap. "Your penchant for violence remains undiminished even after all these millennia."

Letting the weight of the body slide it off his blade, Somnus stood still, waiting for Ardyn's next command. The man was in no hurry to issue another one however as he approached the Lucians with a smirk.

"Adagium," Regis gasped.

"Oh, are we going with that old adage?" the chancellor said with a flick of his hand. "I do have a name, you know, it'd hardly kill to use you. We are family after all, right," Ardyn glanced over at the armored figure, "brother?"

Somnus, bound in the armored form, made no answer in word or deed. The red and black miasma leaking into his surroundings made clear that much was now beyond the Founder King.

"You've bound the soul of a king of yore," Regis said, horror tinging his voice.

Clarus gasped at that revelation, while Nyx, less versed in the secrets of the kingdom, stared on in confusion. His weapons remained ready however, ready to act should these mysterious figures threaten his king.

"Fair's fair," Ardyn said. "Somnus did much worse to me while I was alive, the least he could do is offer some contrition now that he's dead."

Regis' grip tightened around his sword. Records regarding the Adagium were scanty, the result of obvious attempts to erase the man's existence from history. The royal family had however spent several generations piecing together its origins, at a certain point in which it became clear their forebearer would not have approved of such inquiries. While the legends stated that the Lucian royal family was founded by a wise king that sought to protect his people, persistent stories painted a very different picture, one involving betrayal and murder. That the Founder King might have been forced to resort to unseemly means to secure his power was a given, none of his descendants were naïve enough to think power could be gained bloodlessly. The lengths though, that was a point of some dispute, and of graver repute.

"Are you here then for revenge?" Regis asked. "To exact retribution upon your brother's descendants for his act of fratricide?"

Ardyn tilted his head. "Oh? So you do know something of the truth?"

"I know of a betrayal," the king responded. "The circumstances however have been lost to the mists of time. And seeing what you are capable of, I cannot even claim the betrayal was not warranted."

Ardyn's eyes flickered before cracking a seemingly jovial smile. "You mean because I truly am a monster? I suppose that is certainly one point of view. But if I am indeed a monster, I was not born one. I was made into one."

"And yet the hand that did the making," Regis countered. "Could it not have been your own?"

"A certainly fair point," Ardyn conceded. "My, but you are an insightful one. Hard to believe Somnus could have sired a line with such intellect. My brother was not much for thinking overly long, he was more of a doing type. Didn't feel like he'd accomplished anything unless his blade was wet with the blood of others, or he was stepping through their ashes."

Despite himself Regis felt a sense of morbid fascination as he conversed with Ardyn. True what stood before him was more monster than man, he could feel an unholy aura seeping from the Adagium's form. But if Ardyn really was the long lost brother of the Founder King, the elder brother at that, so many questions might be answered about the charge set their family, about the very crystal that was granted to them. If anything Ardyn said could be trusted, at least.

"You call yourself Ardyn Izunia," Regis went on. "You serve as the imperial chancellor of Niflheim. You wield great power in many forms. What is it you seek, Adagium?"

To that Ardyn outright grinned. "Why, the end of destiny, of course."

Regis blinked. "What?"

It was purely reflexive, the motion, but it saved his life nonetheless as Regis blocked the sudden slash by the Founder King's armored form.

"Majesty!" Clarus cried out.

Nyx immediately leapt into the fray, but where Titus' armor had at least a few weak points to strike, Somnus possessed no flesh to cut. The kukris bounced without even scratching the armor and the next moment Nyx found himself alight as fire washed over him. Screaming, the man dropped and tried to roll the fire out.

Struggling to his feet, Clarus tried to hobble closer, firing as he went. Suddenly a cold grip seized his throat as Clarus suddenly found himself staring into Ardyn's black eyes.

"Ah, the King's Shield," Ardyn said. "Can't say you're much compared to Gilgamesh, but points for trying."

Clarus gasped as he felt a cold, something, seemingly reach into him, draining his very soul.

"Just not very many points," Ardyn said, still bearing that snide smile.

When he opened his hands, empty clothes crumbled to the ground.

"CLARUS!" Regis roared.

With a mighty heave, the king shoved back Somnus' sword and flung his blade in Ardyn's direction. The chancellor did not try to dodge. Instead, when Regis materialized, the king gasped as pain shot through his body. Looking down, he saw a crimson hewed blade buried in his gut, having been placed at just his point of emergence.

Ardyn tutted. "See what charging in so rashly got you? I suppose you did inherit some of Somnu's hotheadedness after all." He shoved the blade in deeper. "It would have done you some good to learn some patience."

His body weakening with every passing moment, Regis tried to reach out and grab hold of Ardyn. The other man however simply brushed the king's hand aside.

"Fret not, Your Majesty. I bear you and your kin no ill-will, you are as much victims of fate as I. It is but an unfortunate twist that sets us against one another. But rest assured, when I am done, all of Eos will be freed from their clutches."

Regis barely heard those words, his consciousness dimming. With the strength gone from his legs, the king slumped over and slid off of Ardyn's blade. He was dead before his body hit the ground. A chuckle escaped Ardyn as he watched Regis topple over, a chuckle that erupted into all-out laughter.

"Oh Heavenly Astrals, do you bear witness?" Ardyn called out. "I have struck down your champion king! Your crystal is mine, and with it I will scourge this world of your blasted meddling. If you possess even an iota of courage, if you are worthy of even a single word of the legends told of you, then I dare you to strike me down, here and now, before I set Eos ablaze!"

Silence answered Ardyn, silence, and then a thunk as a pair of blades sank through his back. The chancellor staggered from the blow, glancing back to see a badly wounded Lucian soldier twisting his blade deeper.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!" Nyx shouted as he wrenched his kukris, seeking to dismember Ardyn.

The blood that splattered turned quickly into a blackish mist, and the wounds inflicted similarly disappeared.

"I rather liked this jacket," Ardyn said, glancing down his back.

Before Nyx could react, a sword cleaved down his back, slicing him in two. Behind him stood Somnus, willed to act by his brother's beckoning. Only the gods knew how many more would fall by that blade.

End of Chapter 4

Writing combat scenes is really, really hard. To do it right requires a fair amount of planning out each step of the fight. I'm not quite prepared to go to such lengths, so the scenes this chapter were rougher than I could have managed if I had actually taken the effort.

So the last two chapters more or less combined the events of the Kingsglaive movie and the Episode Ardyn DLC, blending them together into what I hope to be a relatively coherent narrative. It also helps demonstrate more of the divergences I'm taking from the FFXV canon, hinting at what Ardyn's grand plan might be.

Anyway, next chapter we return to Noctis and company, after which arguably the real story starts.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Empty Throne

Despite the risks, Noctis insisted on driving the Regalia ahead of the bus that carried the civilian evacuees from Galdin. The Regalia's position was a given, the car was equipped with powerful headlights that would make short work of any daemons that strayed into their path. Noctis himself taking the wheel elicited some decided mixed feelings on the part of his retinue, not least because the prince was operating on so little sleep. The others had however made only token protests out of duty to their role as Crownsguard. All knew that Noctis was in no mood to be coddled, not after so many others had died for his sake. Still, they were as much the prince's guards as they were his friends, and so continued in their duty as surreptitiously as possible. Ignis sat next to Noctis in the Regalia, while Gladiolus and Prompto were in the armored SUV in the rear, the former at the wheel and the latter manning the machinegun. And so their little convoy plodded along north towards Longwythe, a beacon of light in the otherwise pitch black night.

The radio crackled and a voice called out through the hiss of static.

"Unknown vehicles approaching Longwythe, in the name of the Territorial Army, identify yourself, over."

Ignis picked up the unit and responded. "This is November Lima Charlie, authentication Bravo Zulu Six Six Victor, over."

"Switch to secure channel five-two," the voice instructed.

"Switched."

"Countersign Sigma Oscar One One Kilo. Is His Highness safe, over."

"Roger that, the prince is driving the lead vehicle," Ignis answered, satisfied with the response. "Is Longwythe still secure, over."

"For the moment, imperial forces seem focused on the Crown City."

Noctis' jaw tightened at that but he kept silent.

"We are escorting civilians, some of whom need medical attention," Ignis continued. "Have medics standing by, over."

"Wilco. We make you to be five minutes out. Immediate approach is clear of daemons, so you should have a clear run here."

"Acknowledged, see you there, November out."

The sentry's estimate proved to be spot on as the vehicles rolled into the outpost right on the dot. As outposts went, Longwythe was more a stopover than any sort of proper garrison, but its facilities were sufficient to at least see to the civilians fleeing from Galdin. And assuming the Empire did not strike in force, the platoon of soldiers present should be enough to also see them through the night.

"Your Highness," the lieutenant in command saluted. "Thank the gods you're safe."

Noctis grimaced but returned the courtesy. "What's our current situation?"

"Bad, sir. Contact with Insomnia's been cut off, but the last messages that got out reported at least a dozen dreadnaughts hitting the city."

The prince inhaled sharply. Those numbers, if true, represented a rather substantial chunk of the Empire's battle fleet. That meant Niflheim never had any intention of signing the treaty, or abiding by it. And with that much firepower, the Empire might actually be able to breach Insomnia's defenses and take the city, even if it cost them dearly in the end.

"What of my father?" Noctis asked.

"I, don't know, Your Highness," the lieutenant answered frankly.

Noctis took another deep breath, then looked over at his friends. "We need to get to Formouth, link up with the Territorial regiment there. Maybe we can muster the numbers to relieve the city."

That was not likely, but surrounding the prince with more soldiers was certainly worth doing in its own right.

"The regimental command net is still working, sorta, Your Highness," the lieutenant said. "If you get to Formouth, you should be able to link up with Colonel Auburnbrie."

"Sounds like a plan," Noctis said. "Let's gas up and get going."

"Your Highness, wait," Ignis said. "You haven't gotten any sleep since the night before. You should rest, while we're here in a relatively secure location."

"There's no time," Noctis protested. "What if the city falls while we're snoozing?"

"And what if you end up driving into a ditch because you can't keep your eyes open?" Gladiolus said. "Gotta agree with Iggy on this one, Noct. You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'm fine," Noctis insisted, though he did not sound convincing even to himself.

"Noct, we already took a pretty big risk getting this far during the night," Prompto added his own voice to the chorus. "You're not gonna do anyone any good if you end up as daemon chow."

The prince gritted his teeth, but let out a sigh instead of snapping further.

"Fine. We'll wait here until dawn, but the moment the sun is up, we're up and gone."

The three friends exchanged looks and then nods.

"By your will, Your Highness," Ignis spoke for all of them.

* * *

The new dawn should have brought a sense of satisfaction, of achievement, to Safay Roth, Lord Marshal of the Niflheim Empire's armed forces. He had after all achieved the impossible, breaking through Insomnia's formidable defenses and actually conquering the city. His name would go down in the annals of imperial history as the man responsible for completing Niflheim's dream of uniting all of Eos. He would be remembered as the greatest general since the reign of Solheim. And yet, looking at the debris strewn streets surrounding the Citadel, with the wreckage of the Empire's own dreadnaughts behind him, Safay felt only a sense of foreboding. Of anger even. Yes, this was a victory. But there was no glory to it, not when winning had cost Niflheim so much, and not when the rest of Lucis remained as yet contested.

As Safay approached the Citadel's entrance, out from the gates emerged Ardyn, his clothes slightly frayed but his hat somehow still wholly intact.

"Ah, Marshal, come to take a tour of your grand trophy?"

Safay regarded Ardyn with scant favor. "Where are the traitor glaives?"

"Dead to the last, I'm afraid," Ardyn said, sounding almost as if he meant it. "It would seem your concerns about their efficacy was well founded, Marshal."

That saw Safay's eyes narrow. "Then they failed to keep the vaults open?"

"Alas that is so," Ardyn said.

Safay bit back a curse. Bad enough that the Empire had suffered such materiel losses this day, but to fail in one of their primary objectives.

"And what have you to say to that, Chancellor?" the marshal demanded.

"A regrettable misfortune of war," Ardyn responded flippantly.

"Misfortune!?" Safay began, only to be abruptly cut off by a raised finger from Ardyn.

"Indeed so. But the greater fortune was still won, would you not agree, Marshal? Insomnia is ours, and we have all the time in the world to pry open the vault to claim our prize."

Safay restrained his urge to scream at Ardyn. Being yelled at only seemed to amuse him, and the marshal suspected Ardyn to intentionally act in this manner to get a rise out of others.

"I think you underestimate the task yet before us, Chancellor," Safay said instead. "The Crown City may be ours, and the Lucian king dead," the marshal paused, "Regis is indeed dead, I trust?"

"Oh yes, very much so," Ardyn said, and this time a chill ran down Safay's spine at the smile that accompanied the answer.

"Good," the marshal said, trying to mask his unease. "Even so, the bulk of Lucis' army is still at large, and the Prince Noctis is known to have departed the Crown City before the attack. If he were able to rally Lucis' remaining forces, they could make any attempt to extend our control to the rest of the country extremely difficult, especially with the losses we suffered taking Insomnia in the first place."

A mild understatement, that. Of the thirteen dreadnaughts deployed for the operation, five had been destroyed outright while a sixth was so badly damaged it had been written off. Three others suffered enough damage that they would need to spend at least a few months in the yards for repairs, leaving him with only four dreadnaughts still combatworthy. Four dreadnaughts, to exert control over an entire country. While Safay could attempt to transfer more ships from the Empire, doing so risked leaving critical regions underdefended. He dared not risk that, not with how unruly so many of Niflheim's newer subjects remained.

In addition, the three Diamond Weapons deployed against the city had all fallen to the massive statues that came to life. Just what those statues were Safay had little inkling, only that they were almost certainly tied to the Lucian royal family's magic and their crystal. Combined with the losses of so many magitek troopers and armor, he would be hard pressed to just to keep Insomnia's populace from revolting once the initial shock of their defeat passed. Taking and more importantly holding the rest of the country, could not be achieved with the immediate resources at hand.

"And yet is it not within the Empire's means to make good these losses?" Ardyn responded. "Is that not why you maneuvered the Third and Sixth Legions so close to Lucian territory?"

"You know as well as I that the loyalties of the Sixth are suspect," Safay countered. "A pack of mercenaries and auxiliaries at best."

"But is their courage and skills not beyond reproach?" Ardyn asked rhetorically. "Have they not served admirably, defending the Empire's realms from the recent outbreak of daemons and the like?"

"Do not play the fool, Ardyn," Safay said. "You know well the difference between the duties they performed in the past and what would be demanded of them in any occupation of Lucis."

Ardyn chuckled and gave Safay a pat on the shoulder. "Nothing I'm sure our illustrious marshal could not handle."

"Your confidence is ever reassuring," Safay retorted with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

The chancellor smirked again. "I must return to the capital, to deliver my report to His Majesty. Any words you wish me to convey on your behalf?"

Safay considered it for a moment, but ultimately decided Ardyn could not be trusted to actually carry out any such request.

"See to your duty, Chancellor," he said instead, "and make sure the Empire is prepared for the challenges ahead. I will not see this victory be turned against Niflheim on account of any slackness back home."

"Oh my dear Marshal, I assure you, our final victory is an inevitability," Ardyn said, a chilling laugh echoing from his throat as he walked off.

* * *

"What've we got?" Noctis said as he entered what passed for the command center at the Longwythe outpost.

"More reports are reaching us from the Crown City," Ignis said matter-of-factly, "along with other parts of Lucis. We're getting a clearer picture of what's happening." The young man pursed his lips. "Little of it good, I'm afraid."

"Not surprised," Noctis said as he surveyed the map spread out over the table. "Damn it, they're hitting Cape Caem and Lestallum too?"

"They are," Ignis confirmed, "though not with as much force as what they employed against Insomnia."

That was hardly comforting considering the number of red pins that dotted the two cities. Then again if the density of those pens around Insomnia was any indication, the Empire might not have had much left for the other attacks.

"How are they holding out?" Noctis asked.

"The Cape Caem garrison has already been forced out of the city," Ignis said. "Lestallum, they still hold, but the Territorials might be forced to withdraw just to avoid letting the city be wrecked in the fighting."

Even if such a retreat was part of the contingency planning done by the Lucian government, it never felt good to just abandon places and people to the enemy. But the Lucian army was far from strong enough to fight the Empire's forces head-on across so many fronts. The Territorials needed to be able to consolidate, to bring forth overwhelming strength against a specific target, if it was to have any chance of victory. If a particular position looked to be untenable, then the wisest course of action was indeed to fall back before even that became impossible. No matter how much any of them hated running.

"What about Insomnia?" Noctis asked quietly.

"We received word from the marshal," Ignis said with equal softness. "He has extracted the bulk of the Crownsguard and is headed towards Formouth to rendezvous with the regiment."

Noctis' fist tightened as he met Ignis' gaze.

"And," the bespectacled youth continued, "according to the marshal, the Citadel has fallen."

Noctis said nothing for several long moments. Indeed a still silence seemed to descend upon the room despite the shuffling of bodies going about their work. All of that faded from Noctis' awareness however as his thoughts focused on a singular point. The Citadel had fallen. And with its fall, it was a certainty that his father had also fallen. So long as Regis drew breath, the king would have never allowed his house to suffer Niflheim invaders. But, now it had to be swarming with the Empire's soldiers. The king was dead. Long live the king.

A blue light flared and suddenly a long, curved blade was smashed through the table. The others scrambled back at the sudden crack, some even reaching for weapons. When the light faded and the sword went with it, a gapping hole was left behind where Insomnia had been on the map. A hole that Noctis glared at with smoldering intensity.

"Noct," Ignis said carefully.

The prince blinked and looked up at his long-time friend. There were traces of anger in those eyes, but Ignis did not flinch or look away. He returned Noctis' gaze and simply waited. After a seeming eternity, Noctis look a deep breath and shook himself.

"I'm fine," he said, not entirely convincingly, but he at least tried. "Let's get to Formouth, link up with the marshal. Maybe we can come up with a plan on how to kick the Nifs out of our home."

Ignis nodded. "Very well, Your Highness."

Just as Noctis stepped back from the table, one of the other soldiers spoke up.

"Your Highness!"

Looking over, Noctis saw it was the man manning the radio that had spoken up.

"Marshal Leonis has just issued new orders to all Territorial units in Leide," the operator announced. "All units are to fall back to Duscae and converge upon the Forlane ranch."

"What?" Noctis said in mild puzzlement. "Get confirmation of that order."

"Yes, Your Highness," the operator said and started speaking into the radio.

"Cor is calling for a retreat from Leide?" Noctis said to his friend.

"He may be intending to focus our efforts on defending or retaking Lestallum and Cape Caem," Ignis suggested. "Any place in Leide would be too close to the occupation force in Insomnia to be easily fortified, but securing either of the provincial capitals would provide us with a base from which to operate."

The two cities in question, Lestallum and Cape Caem, were respectively the third and fourth largest cities in Lucis. Both also possessed strategic value beyond those two qualities. Lestallum, the provincial capital of Duscae, housed the single largest electrical generation plant in the entire country thanks to its access to the heat emitting meteorshards. Some of that power even made it all the way to Insomnia, helping keep the Crown City's lights on.

Cape Caem on the other hand was a port city on the southern tip of Cleigne, which also served as home to the small Lucian navy. Granted the few ships in the navy tended to be on the small side, more gunboats than battleships, but they were adequate enough to patrol the coastal waters and keep some semblance of order in Lucian waters. They were most certainly not intended to go head-to-head against Niflheim's flying fleets. While the city did possess some defenses, again it relied on rapid reinforcement to fend off any serious attacks. With so many places being hit simultaneously, the Territorials simply could not respond quickly enough to fight off all the incursions.

Noctis rubbed his chin. "That's true. And taking Caem back would open up the way to Altissia."

That saw Ignis' eyebrow quirk upward. "Your Highness intends to still try getting to Altissia?"

The prince looked down at the map again, or what was left of it.

"We're not going to be able to beat the Empire by ourselves," he stated frankly. "We're going to need help, and our best shot at finding that help is still to get in touch with Stella."

To that Ignis slowly nodded. "We should see what news we can get from Altissia itself. If word is that the Princess Stella has remained in the city despite what has unfolded, that could be further confirmation that she too sought an alliance against Niflheim."

"Dino might have some way of getting that info," Noctis said. "Or he'll at least know who else could."

"Shall I have a word with him before we depart?"

Noctis nodded. "Yeah." He looked down at the table again, then at the gathered soldiers. "Sorry about the table."

A few wry chuckles sounded while words of assurance were also offered. Seeing as the platoon was preparing to pull out in accordance with Cor's order, it was not like the broken table would be much of an inconvenience for much longer.

As Noctis and Ignis emerged, they were greeted with the sight of a steady flow of vehicles all heading west. Most looked to be residents of Leide, fleeing the fighting around Insomnia. Only a few people had the air of Crown City residents lucky enough to escape the city before the Empire locked it down. A few more might yet make it, but they would be doing so with less and less help as the general area around Insomnia thinned out.

"Hey, does that look like?"

Case in point, a most familiar looking yellow truck was presently parked off the side of the road.

"We could do with a bit of good news," Ignis remarked.

"That we could," Noctis agreed as the two hurried over.

The two entered the garage where the Regalia was stowed to avoid drawing unwanted attention and were quickly greeted by some familiar faces.

"Takka, Cid," Noctis greeted.

"Your Highness," the dark-skinned man greeted with a wide smile. "Already knew you'd made it out okay, but still, glad to see it with my own eyes."

"Same to you," Noctis said, giving the man a pat on the shoulder. "Where's Cindy?"

Cid actually snorted at that. "Your friend needed reassurances that she's alright, so they're having a little chat. Least that's all they better be doing. Boy better learn to keep his hands off my granddaughter."

"Sure, I'll tell him that," Noctis said, without any attempt at earnestness. "Has the entire outpost been evacuated?"

"We were the last ones that pulled outta Hammerhead," Takka said, "though there might have been some more Crown City folks that showed up afterward." The man gave Noctis a careful look. "And, I'm sorry about what's happened, Your Highness."

"Lots of that going around," Noctis said. "Don't worry, we'll beat the Nifs back, and get everyone back home where they belong."

"Home ain't some place, kid," Cid responded. "It's the folks you're with, that stand by ya through thick and thin. How many of them are you gonna lose, trying to take 'home' back?"

"Cid," Takka tried, but the old man paid him no heed.

"Folks're gonna look to follow you, on account o' your name," Cid continued. "If you go off all half-cocked, the ones that'll pay for it won't just be you, but all them that came along with you. Think hard, son. About what sorta promises you want to be making hereon. Cause trust me, you don't wanna be coming up short when the bill needs settling."

As harsh as Cid's words were, Noctis could find no fault in them. With his father gone, the role of king fell to Noctis. It did not matter that there had been no coronation, or that he did not have a throne upon which to sit. The responsibility still remained, to his kingdom and his people.

"The only promise that I make today," Noctis said, "is the same one I made when I first picked up the royal arms. I will fight for my people's sake, and I will never forsake them in their time of need."

Cid gave a snort. "Maybe you got some o' your old man's dignity after all."

Coming from the surly old man, that was high praise indeed. Any further opportunity to bask in said praise was abruptly interrupted however a loud bang sounded.

"What in tarnation?" Cid growled.

"Sorry, my bad!" Prompto's voice called out. "This thing's heavier than it looks!"

"Perhaps we should lend him a hand," Ignis suggested.

"I'll go," Noctis said. "You go find Dino, get what we talked about earlier."

"Right away, Your Highness."

Parting from Ignis, Noctis found Cindy, Prompto, and Gladiolus clambering over one of the Territorial jeeps.

"Don't wanna be dropping a fully loaded MG, Prompto," Gladiolus chided his friend.

"Well that's why we unloaded it first," Prompto responded as he hefted the big chunk of metal. "Here."

Gladiolus accepted the weapon and as he turned about caught sight of Noctis.

"Hey, we're just getting the car ready," he said.

"The car?" Noctis said quizzically, glancing over at another vehicle. "What about the Regalia?"

"The Regalia's not exactly an outback vehicle," Cindy said as she dropped the hood of the jeep. "It's mighty conspicuous too, anyone that spotted you'd know it was Crown City make. And, it's good to see you, Highness."

"Thanks Cindy," Noctis said. "Suppose you got a point about the car. Though, not sure I'm happy about leaving the Regalia behind."

"Don't worry about that," Cindy assured him. "We can hitch the Regalia up on my truck and cover it with a tarp. Thataway we can get it out of here without anyone being the wiser."

Considering everything that had happened, feeling relieved over a car might seem irreverent. One should not underestimate the sentimental value of inanimate objects however, especially when such an object might be all that was left as a memento of those gone.

"So we're taking this jeep then?" Noctis inquired.

"That's right," Gladiolus said. "And having a gun mounted on it'd just draw the Nifs' attention if they spotted us. A jeep though? Lots of those around, and probably'll have even more headed west like we are."

Noctis nodded. "First north, then west."

"North?" Gladiolus said, head cocked aside.

"Cor pulled out of Insomnia with most of the Crownsguard," Noctis said. "The sooner we hook up with them, the better."

"Wouldn't mind a few more eyes watching your back," Gladiolus agreed.

"And I wouldn't mind a few more blades at hand," Noctis responded, his eyes hard as cold steel.

* * *

Again Noctis was at the wheel, and again his friends did not try to dissuade him. What they did do however was keep a watchful eye about. While the sound of a gunship reached them intermittently, none thankfully came into view. Indeed the quartet had the roads more or less to themselves. The road going in the north-south direction between Longwythe and Keycatrich was bereft of any other vehicles for much of the way, which was just as well. When they drew closer to the northern city, the amount of cars turned traffic into a standstill.

"Oh man, I'd hate to think what Cid'd do to us if we had done this with the Regalia," Prompto said as he bobbed along with the rolling vehicle.

"As smooth a ride as it is, it wasn't designed to go off-roading," Gladiolus agreed.

"Should be another ten minutes before we reach Formouth," Ignis said as he checked the map.

"Ignis, get on the radio, let them know we're on-" Noctis began when a muffled blast cut him off.

"Whoa, what was that!?" Prompto exclaimed.

Heads snapped in the direction of the explosion, due west of their location.

"Get on the radio," Noctis repeated, "and try to see what the hell is going on."

"On it," Ignis said. "This is November Lima Charlie to Formouth Base, we are approaching due south and just heard a blast to our west, please advise, over."

There was a pause before an answer came. "November Lima Charlie, this is Formouth, please authenticate, over."

"Bravo Zulu Six Six Victor, awaiting countersign, over."

"Countersign is Foxtrot Sierra Eight One Lima," the response came promptly this time. "Imperial forces have deployed a blocking force at the Norduscaen highway junction in at least platoon strength backed with air support. Marshal Leonis took a contingent of Crownsguard with him to break through the blockade to allow for further evacuation."

Noctis was already turning the wheel. "Then that's where we're heading."

"Noct," Ignis began.

"Cor and my Crownsguard are already fighting," Noctis cut him off, before another explosion interrupted the prince himself. "I'm _not_ leaving them hanging."

In the rear seat, Prompto and Gladiolus were already checking their weapons. Ignis gave a weary sigh.

"Perhaps so, but we need to determine the best way in which our aid would turn the battle," Ignis said. "Charging in headlong would simply add another liability for the engaged Crownsguard to cover."

Noctis flashed a cheeky smile. "That's why you're here, Iggy."

"So it seems," Ignis replied dryly as he got back on the radio to get more information.

By the time the noise from the battle was no longer merely distant, the quartet had a pretty good idea what they were getting into. At least two platoons of magitek infantry along with a pair of supporting gunships had taken up position at the junction that marked the border between Leide and Duscae. Considering the caliber of troops Cor had taken with him, along with the marshal himself, the advantage lay with the Lucian forces. Indeed the two explosions they had previously heard likely came from the downing of the two gunships, since nothing could be seen in the air on their approach. For this reason if nothing else, it was arguable whether Noctis' presence was even required. There was however one significant advantage that would come from the prince's presence.

The magical power which members of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard channeled was in many ways them manipulating magic that their respective liege drew from the crystal. For the former, Regis acted as the conduit to their power. For the latter, it was Noctis, though in truth either man could serve as a conduit if the need arise. While it was also possible for the guardsmen to call upon this magic even when separated from their liege by significant distances, close proximity did impact the ease with which they did so. As such, having Noctis directly in their midst could only bolster the effectiveness of the engaged Crownsguard, assuming they did not have to spend too much effort keeping the prince himself safe.

Noctis brought the jeep to an abrupt halt and hopped out, the others right behind.

"Your Highness!" a Crownsguard officer exclaimed at sighting them.

"Monica," Noctis greeted, having enough sense to at least get under some cover. "We're here to help."

"You should not have come, Your Highness," Monica chided. "We can handle this."

"Probably why the others didn't drag me back kicking and screaming," Noctis said. "What've got left?"

Monica gave a weary sigh but answered nonetheless. "Most of the magitek troopers have been neutralized, along with their two gunships. We're pretty sure they got out a call for help however, so we're maintaining a perimeter-"

"Enemy gunships inbound!" another Crownsguard called out. "Counting three!"

"Take aim but hold fire until they're within two kilometers!" Monica ordered. "Your Highness, you _really_ need to get somewhere with more cover."

"I'll be fine," Noctis assured her. "Sides, I'm surrounded by my faithful Crownsguard."

The woman's expression still remained that of weary resignation, but nonetheless she again answered. "Yes you are, Your Highness."

The sound of the incoming gunships grew louder and Noctis actually humored his guardsmen by moving to a less exposed position, albeit one from where he could still get a good view of what was going on. With the clear desert sky, the incoming gunships soon became visible. Either through good fortune or dumb luck, the gunships did not open fire on their approach. That was their mistake however as multiple missiles suddenly erupted from the ground as they crossed the threshold Monica had designated.

The gunships immediately tried to dodge, with the guardsmen having waited until effectively the last minute each one took at least one hit. The leftmost gunship began careening through the air having lost all control before slamming hard into the ground. The center gunship actually struck its wingman on the right, causing the other gunship to start spinning. Even as the second gunship made a rapid and certainly terminal descent, the center gunship somehow managed to keep gliding along. Its landing would be hard, but with how hardy the Empire's magitek troopers were, they probably would still be combat capable.

The last gunship scrapped the ground, bouncing once or twice, with each contact further bleeding away its momentum. When the craft came to a rest, its frame was thoroughly buckled and the ship would likely never fly again. That probably spared its occupants any hesitation in further wrecking the thing while forcing their way out.

"Enemy armor!" came a cry.

Indeed out from the wreckage a long mechanical arm was prying through the metal shell of the airframe. A large bipedal mech stepped out, its form oddly reminiscent of a two-legged praying mantis. A praying mantis that was mounted with more than scythes upon its form.

"Look out!"

The pod mounted on the mech's back glowed for a brief moment before a swarm of missiles erupted, showering the Crownsguard with fire. Even before the smoke cleared the roar of machinegun fire could be heard as the MA pressed the attack. The gunfire the Crownsguard answered with paled in comparison.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAH!"

Leaping through the air, the black robed figure spun about and cleaved through the walker's right arm, severing it outright and putting to an end the barrage of machinegun fire. Rolling as he touched down upon the ground, Cor kept his momentum going as he moved to hack off the other arm. The MA reacted with unnatural speed however, spinning aside and swiping at Cor, bursts of electricity coursing off its right arm. Quickly skidding to a halt, Cor jumped back to avoid getting stun by the pulsing charge.

"C'mon, we gotta help him!" Noctis shouted.

Without waiting for agreement, probably because he knew it would not be coming, Noctis manifested a blade and threw it at the MA. It struck the circular shield mounted on the mech's right arm, moments before a blast of blue light exploded from a warp strike launched by the prince.

"Highness!" Cor called out in alarm as he registered the sight.

The mech flayed about, trying to strike Noctis as he summersaulted away. As he landed however the MA began stomping the ground, the force of its steps causing tremors to reverberate. Noctis barely managed to avoid following flat on his ass, but so imbalanced was unable to launch any further attacks or effectively defend himself.

"Noct, down!"

Trusting in his friend, Noctis obeyed and was spared being speared by the MA's arm when a large shield interceded. The shield held, even if Gladiolus was forced onto a knee. The shaking was subsiding however so Noctis rolled away to get an angle for another strike.

"Noct!" Ignis could be heard shouting. "Fire!"

A blade flew past Noctis, marking the ground. Looking down, the prince saw a viscous fluid pooling around the MA.

"Got it!" Noctis called back. "Everyone get clear!"

Flames ignited in Noctis' hand and once he was certain no one else would be caught in the blast the prince let the blaze sweep over the leaking oil. The fire immediately traveled along the liquid trail right back into the mech itself. The MA's motion became noticeably stiffer as its motors and gears strained under the scorching heat. It was not yet out of tricks however as the box on its back popped open again.

"Oh no you don't!" Prompto said, letting loose a barrage from his pistols.

The metal, already weakened by the heat, cracked to let the bullets strike the remaining missiles housed in the pod. An explosion ruptured the MA's back, forcing the mech onto its knees. Before Noctis could launch another attack, Cor sailed through the air and brought his blade down upon the mech's head. The katana sank clean through the armor, producing a deep gash as Cor slid down. When he pushed back and yanked the sword out, the MA toppled outright with a decapitated head.

"Damn, Cor's really busting out the moves today," Prompto remarked.

"The marshal's reputation is entirely deserved," Ignis said. "It accords well with his sense of duty."

Noctis knew a backhanded warning when he heard one. While Cor was certainly not one to coddle his charges, in light of what transpired the past night he was not likely to be pleased with Noctis endangering himself like this. The prince however was prepared to bear that displeasure, and more of it in the future if need be. He was a prince of Lucis, and the royal family did not abide idlers within its ranks. It certainly would not abide one upon the throne.

"Cor," the prince spoke first. "I'm glad to see you made it."

"I as well, Your Highness," Cor said in an oddly subdued manner.

Noctis regarded the man. "Is something wrong?"

Cor's lips thinned. "As Your Highness been informed about Insomnia?"

To that Noctis' own expression darkened ever so slightly. "Yeah. The Citadel fell. And considering you're here with all the Crownsguard, that can only mean one thing." The prince took a deep breath. "Did, did my father walk tall?"

If anything Cor's own face seemed to twist further in grief. The man actually bowed his head.

"So you don't know."

Noctis blinked. "Know what?"

Raising his head and meeting Noctis' gaze, Cor answered. "Your father walked tall, Your Highness. But so many others did not. My humblest apologies, for having failed you and your family so."

"What are you talking about?" Noctis asked, a growing consternation in his voice.

"Your Highness," Cor began softly. "The Citadel fell not merely because of the Empire's assault upon Insomnia. It fell, because a contingent of the Kingsglaive turned traitor."

The world seemed to freeze around Noctis as he heard those words. Headless of the gasps and cries that sounded about him, Noctis simply stared at Cor.

"But-the Kingsglaive are supposed to be the kingdom's finest!" Prompto protested seemingly reflexively. "How could they turn against the king!?"

That last word stirred Noctis from his shock, his eyes blinking once more.

"I do not know the full of it," Cor said, "but of those that I confirmed had foresworn themselves, all were originally from beyond Lucis' borders, lands all too often ravaged by imperial aggression."

"So they turn against the king that took them in?" Gladiolus said. "The hell kind of sense is that!?"

"I do not pretend to understand the emotions that drove those men and women," Cor stated bluntly. "I obviously failed to sense the regrets and enmity that drove them to such actions. What little they revealed when we crossed blades however suggests that many resented Lucis having, abandoned, their homes."

"Abandoned?" Noctis whispered.

Cor made no response, and in doing so let it be known he did not agree with such an accusation and would make no attempt to further justify it.

"Abandoned?" This time the word was a hiss, not a whisper. What came next was a roar. "If they thought Lucis had abandoned those other lands, then what the _fuck_ were they doing hiding behind Insomnia's walls in the Kingsglaive!?"

"Noct," Ignis began, but that was as far as he got.

"If they wanted to fucking help, then why weren't they out here with my Crownsguard!? What the fuck were they doing sitting around on their asses while my guard was out here fighting and dying!?"

The rage that was barely contained upon learning of the death of his father now erupted in full force. Noctis' anger was far from unjustified seeing what had transpired the past day, with the slanderous rationale of the traitor glaives pushing the young many well past his limits.

Despite the similarities between the two organizations, there were also some clear demarcations that resulted in some very differing responsibilities being shouldered by each one. The Kingsglaive were responsible for the personal security of the king, along with the general defense of the Citadel and to a certain extent the Crown City, with the regular army units stationed in and around Insomnia subordinated to Kingsglaive command. The Crownsguard on the other hand was responsible for the personal security of the king's children, and especially that of the crown prince. That meant accompanying the prince wherever he might go, both within and without Lucis' borders.

On these trips the guardsmen might be called upon to fight in the prince's defense against would-be assassins and predators. Or they might fight alongside the prince himself as Noctis worked to secure the kingdom's lands from dangerous animals, brigands, imperial incursions, or even the odd daemon or two. Not all such journeys ended up with the Crownsguard taking up arms, sometimes they would also help provide manpower for distributing supplies and tending to the ill. The House of Caelum would not abide idlers upon the throne, nor amongst their most trusted retainers. Thus those whom sought to be come Kingsglaive usually served a tour or two in the Crownsguard, as much to learn how to use their liege's magic as to demonstrate their sense of duty.

A contingent of Regis' glaives were an exception however, and as recent events demonstrated a mistake. After the last great campaign the king partook in saw the ranks of his glaives depleted, Regis had been forced to make good the lost glaives in whatever way he could. While a portion of the Crownsguard could be transferred over, doing so too liberally would have deprived his own son of adequate guardians. The king instead offered those individuals whom showed an affinity for the crystal's energies a chance to migrate to Insomnia if they agreed to join the Kingsglaive. While a few bad apples were discovered in the initial crop of recruits, over time the king and his senior commanders had thought the worst of the lot sufficiently weeded out and the reconstituted glaive ranks wholly reliable. That however was obviously not the case.

Bad enough that so many of the newer glaives had indeed turned out to be so fickle with their loyalty, but what truly galled was their apparent blindness to the efforts Lucis took to indeed do right by their lands. While Regis might have been forced to remain behind Insomnia's walls, and thus also keep his Kingsglaives close at hand, Noctis had traveled far and wide as crown prince to bring what aid the kingdom could. That aid had cost Lucis not just treasure but also blood, for fending off monsters and imperials and even daemons carried with it no small amount of risk. But spend that coin Lucis did, and that blood. And it was the blood of men and women Noctis himself held dear, for the Crownsguard had been with him since birth. To have their sacrifice so besmirched, that was beyond Noctis' capacity for forgiveness.

"Your Highness," Cor spoke up. "Many did remain loyal. Nyx and Libertus, I witnessed holding true to their oaths. They understood, even if the others did not, the weight upon the royal family."

"Nyx," Noctis murmured. "Libertus. From Galahd. The Empire attacked the islands after they refused to surrender, even with the wall drawn back." The prince closed his eyes, letting memories of his own visit flicker through his mind. "The people, were kind. And proud. And damn well deserved better." He opened them once more to look at Cor. "Did any of the true glaives make it out?"

"I don't know," Cor answered frankly. "None has as of yet surfaced since Insomnia's fall."

Only a day had passed since the city's occupation, so there was still a chance. All they could do was wait and be patient, not exactly Noctis' strong suite. The prince however nodded.

"Then we continue on," he said.

Cor nodded. "There is, one final matter, Your Highness."

Noctis regarded Cor warily, wondering what more could yet be said, and what other terrible news it might be. From his pocket Cor pulled something out, extending his closed fist towards the prince. When he opened, therein upon his palm was a silver ring. Noctis looked at it, his face tightening once more.

"The Ring of the Lucii," Cor said. "Your father's final order to me, was to ensure you would receive it. Your Majesty."

The king is dead. Long live the king. Noctis stared at the ring for several long seconds before reaching out and taking it up. He did not put it on however, not yet at least.

"The throne is empty," he declared, "but I cannot sit upon it. Not when the Empire's troops occupy the very house the throne sits in. Only when Insomnia is freed and the Citadel returned to the House of Caelum, will I be king. Only then, and not a second before."

End of Chapter 5

This chapter, was a pain to write. I went over at least three different drafts before settling on something I was finally happy with. For that matter this entire story has been much more difficult to craft than many of my previous works. At this point, don't expect updates to be very rapid.

I'm playing around with the geography a bit, slicing off Lestallum to be part of Duscae instead of Cleigne. It hasn't physically moved or anything, just moved the borderlines around a bit. I've also beefed up Cape Caem to be a city instead of an abandoned outpost. The main rationale is my version of Lucis has been a bit more successful in keeping hold of its territory than in canon, and so there are actually cities dotting the country instead of basically what amounted to two cities on an entire continent. I have the luxury of having a larger scale than the game, since I don't have to create all of the media assets to represent that scale.

Loqi was not the one at the Norduscaen highway blockade. I have a different use for him later on that would have been made more complicated by his presence at the blockade.


End file.
